


Delay

by GstarRoss



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Errrrr.... yeah... stuff?, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gen, I don't know..., M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-03 02:14:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GstarRoss/pseuds/GstarRoss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jackson's life in London is interrupted by news from Beacon Hills.</p><p>You can only run so far before your history catches up to you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chaper 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SublimeDiscordance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SublimeDiscordance/gifts).



> First time writing this pairing, but it's been fun... there's more to come, maybe 2 more chapters but for now... we have the start.
> 
> It's self-beta'd so apologies for any glaring spelling/grammar mistakes...

Grinning, Jackson revved the engine.  The beast roared and the vibrations shook him pleasantly.  Revving it once more, he pretended not to notice the looks he was attracting while sitting at the lights.  Some of the jealous morons were sneering, trying to act as if they weren’t seething at their inability to afford a car this nice, but Jackson knew better.

 

He snorted as the light flashed green and he burst away, engine roaring as the car bolted up the street.  Jackson had been cruising around for well over two hours, ever since his parents had dropped the keys into his hand.  Jackson felt a tiny pang of guilt, quickly suppressed, at not having thanked them properly for such an extravagant gift.

 

As he smoothly turned a corner he spotted a guy his age, hands deep in pockets, hoodie up, walking along the sidewalk. _Loser._ Jackson thought uncharitably, already dismissing all memories of ever having walked anywhere, ever. He was just about to roar the engine and sweep past when he saw who it was.  Grinning ruefully, he nodded to himself and pulled in next to the teenager.

 

“Hey McCall! You need a ride?”  Jackson smirked.  Scott McCall shook his floppy hair out of his eyes and frowned at his classmate.  They’d known each other for several years, and occasionally been friendly, but they didn’t exactly hang out.  Jackson had expected him to glare and stalk off, had eagerly anticipated laughing as he drove off.  He hadn’t expected the other boy to shrug and get in, carelessly scuffing his boots on the footwell as he got in.  “Hey! Watch it!”

 

“Sorry,” Scott mumbled looking around at the fixtures. “This. This is a _nice_ car dude. When’d you get it?”  Jackson preened, taking the compliment for himself.

 

“Today. It’s my birthday.”

 

“No shit. Happy birthday.” Scott smiled, wide and genuine, and Jackson frowned at the flip his heart made at that look.  Resetting his shoulders, he slammed the engine into gear and took off, heading for roughly where he thought Scott’s house was.  Scott laughed with joy at the speed and acceleration. 

 

It only took a few minutes to reach the McCall residence, Jackson spending most of the drive wondering why he’d stopped, blocking out most of Scott’s inane chatter about how this was the year he and his loser friend Stiles would make the Lacrosse team.  As he pulled up, Scott slowed his prattle and Jackson turned to him.  “What?”  He asked.

 

“Nothing.  Do you want to come in?  Play X-box or watch a movie or something?”  Scott asked, trying to catch Jackson’s eye, trying to get a read on the other boy.  Jackson refused to look at him, just shrugging a little.

 

“Whatever.”  He hated how insecure he sounded.  He hated how insecure McCall made him.  It was all Scott’s fault.  He never felt this way around anyone else.  He glared at the crooked-jawed loser as he laughed at Jackson.  Seeing the glare he laughed harder and Jackson took a playful swipe at him, hoping to clip him around the back of the head.  Instead, Scott swayed back and batted his hand away and he reached in quickly trying to flick Jackson’s forehead.

 

A brief but frenzied fight erupted in the confined space; Scott chuckling, Jackson growling.  They ended up in a version of a wrestler’s hold, each boy’s right hand gripping the back of each other’s necks, their other hands locked on wrists, their foreheads pressed together. Scott’s laughter stilled at the intense look in Jackson’s eyes.

  
He could taste McCall’s breath, the other boy’s nearness short-circuiting something in Jackson’s brain.  He swallowed, licked his lips and pushed forward, planting a kiss directly onto Scott’s mouth.  For a glorious moment, they connected, fire flaring in his mouth, masculine and fierce, despite Scott being only just on the right side of cool.

 

Then it was over, McCall pulled back, confusion and panic on his face.  “What the-“ He gasped, a hand moving to his lips.  He’d fucked up.  He thought Scott was… He thought they’d… _Fuck._

 

“Get out.”  Jackson growled.

 

“Jackson… I… I didn’t know you were…”

 

“I’m not.” He managed to eek out through gritted teeth.  “Get the fuck out of my car, McCall.”

 

“Hey, relax.  I’m not going to tell anyone…”  Scott was trying to console him, trying to make his feel better.  _It was all his fault,_ he _kissed_ me. Jackson told himself.

 

“You tell anyone, _anyone_ , about this and I’ll break your face, you get me?”  He growled and Scott nodded.

 

“Jackson, you don’t-“

 

“Get. The. Fuck. Out.”  He turned away, not trusting himself to look at the other boy.

 

Scott huffed for a moment but finally got out of the car.  Jackson didn’t even wait for the door to slam closed before speeding off, fist pounding on the steering wheel in an attempt to distract him for the tears forming in his eyes.  _That loser.  He’s a waste of space. If it wasn’t for him…_ Jackson didn’t want to finish that thought, but did make a resolution to stay away from McCall and to make his life hell. _That’ll show him I don’t…_ Another unfinished thought.

 

“FUCK!” Jackson barked and threw his head back against the seat, slamming his foot down and speeding towards the freeway, needing to feel like he was getting away… even if he wasn’t.

 

*            *            *

 

Jackson was bounding up the stairs into the crisp winter’s morning. He’d completed his classes for the day and had decided to go exploring; London was a much larger and more exciting city than he’d expected it to be.  Exiting the subway station – he refused to call it a tube, no matter what his British friends thought – he made his way towards Covent Garden. It was the one area of London he knew really well and the one he always ended up back at whenever he got lost, which, though he’d never admit it, was frequently.

 

His phone vibrated in his pocket as soon as he was in daylight and he smiled seeing Danny’s name come up.  His best friend was the only person from Beacon Hills he still spoke to, besides the obligatory weekly calls home.  “Hey Danny, what’s up- No! Wait! Awight geezer, how’s tricks? Honestly D, these guys talk really bad English.”

 

“It’s Scott.” The voice at the other end of the phone was quiet and strained but still recognisable as the infuriating teenager Jackson had decidedly not thought about once in the last few months.

 

“Why do you have Danny’s phone? And why are you calling me?” He asked, already dreading the answer.

 

“Danny’s hurt.” Which was exactly what Jackson feared, but also pretty much the only thing that kept him from hanging up there and then. “He’s been attacked by an Alpha, he’s in a really bad way Jackson, I can’t even tell if he’s been bitten, he’s completely covered in bandages… it’s bad… Doctor’s won’t talk to me so everything I know is through my Mom, but yeah… it’s bad.”

 

“Where is he?” 

 

“Beacon Hill Memorial. The ICU.”  Jackson could feel the pity in Scott’s voice and his temper flared.

 

“I’m coming home now.  You tell him that McCall.  You tell him I’m coming home.” Jackson’s rage laced into his words.

 

“I will.” Jackson viciously poked at his smart phone, ending the call. He ignored the bright light, the people, the shops and the city and bolted back to the subway heading straight to the airport.

 

*            *            *

 

There wasn’t many times in his life when Jackson had been truly thankful for his family’s wealth, but as he got walked straight to the counter and bought a ticket on the next plane to California, he threw up a small, begrudging prayer of thanks.  Waiting in the departure lounge he found a thousand small memories smashing around his head.  Most of them were of him and Danny.  They’d been friends since the first day of kindergarten when Danny had split his fruit loaf in half and gave Jackson the bigger piece.

  
They’d been inseparable from then on in.  Teachers had despaired of getting them to work with anyone else, of interesting them in other people, though the rest of the class had simply accepted that they came as a pair.  He remembered when Danny hadn’t spoken to him for two days after Jackson broke his Power Rangers mug when they were seven and the three days Jackson hadn’t spoken to Danny after he’d kissed the girl Jackson liked when they were both in sixth grade.

 

Snorting, he remembered how their first conversation after that silence had been when Danny had confessed that he hadn’t really liked it and he’d much preferred kissing Jeremy Blake anyway.   Jackson had just nodded but still remembered how his stomach had turned over at the simple admission.

 

That night, Jackson had waiting until after dinner and could see both his parents’ faces.  He’d cleared his throat and told them Danny had told him he thought he was gay and watched their reactions. While his Mom had just blinked and started asking bizarre questions about how sure he was, Jackson had caught the slight look of disgust that had swept across his Dad’s face.  It was at that exact point, Jackson had stamped down on the burgeoning fledgling emotions of his own and vowed never to see his Dad look at him that way.

 

In the weeks, months and years that followed, Jackson’s Dad had been nothing but kind to Danny, not once seeming anything other than supportive of him being gay, but Jackson knew.  Even when his Dad had hugged his son’s friend after his first break up, saying all the right things, Jackson remembered the look. 

 

As his flight was called, he sped to the front of the queue, knowing that it wouldn’t make him get there any faster, but he needing to do something.  He was almost dancing with impatience as the slowest group of people in the history of the world filed onto the plane.  Finally everyone was on board and the plane took off.  With nothing to do but think for twelve hours, Jackson was pulled into a raft of memories, most of which he didn’t want to think about at all…

 

_From all the places he could have parked, he purposefully chose to sweep the car in next to Scott and his ridiculous bike.  As Jackson got out of the car he stared hard at the other boy and barked, “Watch the paintjob.”  And swept away, secure in the knowledge that Scott would be sure he didn’t like him, at all, in any way.  He’d spent the first couple of weeks after his birthday worried that Scott might tell someone he’d kissed Jackson and he have to deal with the aftermath and rumors of being kissed by a gay guy.  Fortunately, it looked liked Jackson’s warning had worked and Scott had kept his mouth shut._

_That was the day that Allison Argent had appeared though, the day when Jackson’s life had taken on the most bizarre turns.  She had somehow been sucked in by Scott’s luscious brown eyes, caramel skin and dopey smile.  Coupled with the fact that Lydia had decided she needed some female friends and adopted the new girl meant Jackson and Scott’s lives had re-entwined.  He’d especially tried to talk Lydia out of the double date, but to no avail._

_The bowling trip was excruciating.  He kept remembering how Scott had leaned in and kissed him.  He knew he was being a jackass, knew he was laughing too hard, trying too hard to show how disinterested he was in Scott McCall.  He couldn’t help but feel however that all three could see how much he thought about that kiss.  Even when he was with Lydia, who couldn’t be further than Scott if she tried, he would still flash back to those incredible seconds and wonder why she couldn’t make him feel the same way._

_Jackson found he couldn’t stop staring at Scott’s newfound confidence, the way he moved even seemed different now, more seductive.  He surreptitiously found himself watching Allison kiss her boyfriend and wondering if that’s what he looked like when Scott had kissed him.  That night he and Lydia had had another round of disappointing sex and Jackson found he couldn’t even muster the enthusiasm to argue with her afterwards._

_When Scott and Allison had split up, Jackson felt himself drawn to her.  He’d even managed to get her back to his room once, something he was sure she’d never told anyone about._

Shaking his head, Jackson tried not to fall into the memory, knowing it was him at his worst, but all other thoughts led to his best friend lying in a coma and he couldn’t – couldn’t – go down that road, so instead he let the memories of that hideous night flare up again.

 

_Jackson put Laura Marling on through his sound cloud and settled in next to Allison.  She looked nervous, and he caught her hand as she tucked her hair behind her ear.  When she didn’t push his hand away he boldly stroked her cheek with a thumb, smiling at her.  She smiled back and he leant in, kissing her gently. He sensed that she didn’t want him to push her, so allowed her to set their rhythm and pace._

_After they’d been making out for a while, Jackson pulled back and Allison’s eyes flickered open.  “You all right?”  He asked_

_“Uh-huh.” She nodded and they both grinned.  Kissing Allison was different from kissing Lydia, but it still didn’t move him the way he knew he could be moved._

_“You’re a great kisser, way better than Lydia.” He smiled as she ducked her head and frowned slightly, shaking her head.  “Am I a better kisser than Scott?”_

_“What?” She asked confused.  “I mean…well… it’s different, I don’t know.”_

_“Well… does he kiss you like this?” Jackson pushed forward, kissing her, closed mouth and chaste, one hand on the back of her neck.  “Or like this?” He held her face in both hands and kissed her moaning slightly._

_“No… more like…”  Allison pushed back and kissed him, taking control. He let her, focusing on what she was doing with her lips.  There was a surging and retreating quality._

_“Wow, feels good. What did he feel like kissing you?”  He kissed her again, aware of her confusion, but not really wanting to keep talking._

_“It felt like this… like kissing…”  They went back to kissing and Jackson felt his desire build, focusing not only the fact he was now exactly where Scott had been, but also on what she said he was like.  He tried to match how she’d said he’d kissed, wanting her to do the same._

_“Yeah… but how did he feel, to you?” He asked, not opening his eyes, breathing the question against her lips._

_“He felt strong.” She whispered to him and Jackson moaned slightly, unable to hold it back. “His arms would pin me to the bed.” She kissed him again and pushed him back onto the bed.  “Like this.”  She kissed him harder now.  “Then he’d kiss my neck.” She moved planting her lips on the soft skin of his throat and he closed his eyes, gasping as her tongue flickered out.  “He’d drive me wild with his tongue, he has a great tongue…” She kissed him again and Jackson let her, dreaming it was the boy they were talking about.  Her hand snaked down to the bulge in his jeans. “Want me to tell you about his dick too?” She asked, palming at his cock, rubbing and sending waves of pleasure through him. “Shall I tell you how hot, how hard it is? How it feels like velvet and tastes so, so good.  Shall I tell you how it feels slipping inside you?” She kept stroking him through his trousers, breath hot in his ear.  “Can you imagine it?  His strong arms pushing you into the mattress, the weight of him on your chest, lips and tongue on your neck.”  Jackson was being swept along with her sensual voice, panting and eyes screwed shut.  “Then he slides in, inch by inch until he’s all the way in… then he’d fucking you, he’s so gentle, but so powerful and you can feel him begin to pulse.”  Jackson started he groan and his hips bucked; he could feel the orgasm building.  “Then, he makes the most incredible sound as he cums, emptying inside of you and you can feel it, hot and seering-“ She cut off as Jackson gave a strangled cry and he exploded in his briefs, the intensity of it making him shake and shudder._

_The incredible and intense feeling lasted about five seconds before his brain kicked in and he realised what just happened.  Scuttling sideways he fell off the bed, desperate to get away from Allison and the knowledge in her eyes.  She smiled sadly.  “Jackson…”_

_“Don’t! Don’t say it!”  He clamped down on the small sob that escaped him and fed his anger at himself instead._ Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

 

_“OK…” She said slowly, standing slowly.  She stood with her hands on her hips and looked down at him.  “Well… I think we’re done. I’m gonna…”  She hiked a thumb at the door and he glared at her.  She nodded and started to walk away.  Pausing at the door, Allison looked back.  “I won’t say anything to anyone… but you should talk to someone…Danny, maybe?”  She tried to sound helpful and sincere but Jackson had already blocked her out._

“Chicken or beef?” The flight attendant asked, and Jackson just waved her away, not even noticing the flirting eyes or disappointment as she was rebuffed.  He shook his head.  Even he was able to see he’d been using Allison, and he’d deserved her messing with his head that way.  Horribly though, he kept thinking about all the things she said, it was like it was imprinted on his brain.

 

The rest of the flight was spent watching awful movies, flicking through awful music stations and reading an awful magazine he’d bought at the shop in the departure lounge.  He was up and out of seat as soon as the belt light blinked, racing through the airport, desperate to close the last few miles distance to his friend.

 

*            *            *

 

Jackson tapped his fingers against his leg, waiting for the elevator doors to open.  At the irritating ping he burst out onto a quiet, silently oppressive ward.  Scanning the area he saw Danny’s parents slumped in chairs and walked over to them suddenly nervous.  His friend’s Mom saw him first.  “Jackson…?!” She asked incredulous.

 

“Hey… Scott… Scott McCall? He called me? I came as soon as I could… how is he?”  Jackson didn’t care how broken he sounded, he just needed to know.  Danny’s Mom collapsed into him, holding him close, crying into his shoulder and he felt his heart stop.

 

“He’s still in a coma. The Sheriff said it was a mountain lion.”  Mr Mahealani sounded like he didn’t believe it but pulled Jackson in for a hug too when his wife released the trembling boy.

 

“Can I see him?” Jackson asked and Danny’d Dad nodded, pointing around a corner.  Jackson walked where he’d been directed and as he turned into the aisle where the rooms were he stopped dead.  In front of him, curled up in a chair, seemingly asleep was Scott, though that’s not what halted in him in his tracks.  There was another werewolf in the corridor, a big, broad-shouldered red-head who was glaring at him.  A low rumble sounded in his throat.

 

“You must be Jackson.”  The werewolf said, stepping back, not wanting a confrontation.  Blinking, Jackson pushed his wolf back and thought.

 

“Are you Ethan?”  Jackson growled.

 

“Aiden.  Ethan’s in there.” He nodded to a room.  “We’re just waiting until we can get him out of here. Danny’s in there.”  Aiden added quietly, sounding desperately sad.

 

Jackson swallowed and headed through the cold white door.  Danny was in a sizeable room, there were large windows along one wall and numerous chairs around the bed.  There was even a little bunch of flowers on a bedside table, carnations, which Danny hated.  Steeling himself, Jackson forced himself to look at his friend.

 

Danny was unrecognizable.  He had bandages around his head, torso and arms, everywhere that was exposed basically.  He had a tube down his throat, a drip in his arm and an oxygen feed under his nose.  There was the agonizingly slow beep, beep of the electrocardiogram and the gasping wheeze of the machine helping Danny to breathe.  Jackson slowly pulled up a chair and took his friend’s hand in his.

 

“Hey D. You look like shit.”  Jackson began and tears began to roll down his cheeks.  Danny was the one person in his life he could cry with, the only one who he knew in his heart had never judged him for being weak, being less than he should.  “So… I’m here. You can wake up now.  Whenever you want, I’m here. Just wake up Danny. Please.”  Jackson didn’t stop talking, begging, until his voice cracked and broke.  Unable to go on, he just lay his forehead on their linked hands.

 

Scott was right, Jackson couldn’t tell if any of the injuries were bites.  Danny’s scent was so jumbled.  There was the pure smell of his friend, familiar even before Jackson had turned, and two other fragrances too. The first was something complementary and young, Ethan Jackson guessed, but the second was violent and blanketed his friend completely.  He didn’t want to think about how that had happened, hoping against hope it wasn’t through the Bite.

 

After what seemed like hours, there was a timid tapping at the door and Jackson turned to see Scott holding out a cup of water, eyes full of pity.  “Hey.  It’s late, Mom’s got Ethan’s paperwork done and Aiden’s taking him home.  Danny’s parent’s are getting cots set up in here… you’ll have to come back in the morning.  He knows you’re here Jackson.  He knows.  Do you need a ride?”  Jackson gulped the water down in one and nodded, exhaustion suddenly overwhelming him.

 

He stood on unsteady legs and Scott swept to his side, sliding an arm around his waist.  Jackson tried to shove it away, but was too weak.  Accepting it as inevitable, he allowed the other boy to lead him out of the room and the building.  As he got outside Jackson managed to pull away from Scott, walking the final distance to the other boy’s car.

 

“I need to see Derek.  Can you drop me at his?”  Being back in Beacon Hills had made him itch for his Alpha.

 

“Derek’s gone, didn’t Danny tell you?”  Scott looked at him, confused.

 

“I asked him not to tell me anything about Beacon Hills and the Pack… I only know about Ethan because he walked past the computer one day when we were Skyping.”

 

“So do you know about Erica and Boyd?” Scott asked slowly.

  
“No, why? I know they ran off, left Derek? Are they back?” 

 

“They’re dead.”  Scott whispered.  Jackson took a breath.  They should have been his Packmates, them and Isaac and Derek.  But that’s not how it worked out.  After he’d been shown how to control his wolf Jackson realised that he couldn’t stay.  If he stayed they’d all know him, all know him intimately, know his deepest, darkest thoughts.  He couldn’t let that happen.  Above everything, above family, above Pack, Jackson knew how to protect himself.  So he left.

 

“You better start at the start.”  He said, leaning back.

 

“OK… Shall I take you to your parents house?”  Scott said, starting the car.  Jackson scrubbed a hand over his face.

 

“Urgh.” He groaned.  “I haven’t had a chance to tell them I’m back, and it’s…” He checked the clock.  “God… late… I don’t want to wake them in the middle of the night and deal with all their questions…” He looked up at Scott and glared, not wanting to ask the favour he knew he needed.

 

The infuriating werewolf rolled his eyes.  “Do you want to crash at mine tonight?”

 

“Whatever.”  Jackson shrugged and a part of his brain flashed back to a couple of years previously, when he’d first gotten his Porsche.  Flushing, he turned his head and stared out of the window.  “So what happened…?”

 

Scott drove slowly through the deserted streets, taking his time and finishing his story as he pulled into the drive of his home.  Jackson didn’t know what to say, he’d missed so much.  “Come in when you’re ready.” Scott said, leaving Jackson alone the in the car, unfamiliar feelings crashing inside him. 

 

Not least of those was guilt.  How much might have been different if he’d had stayed.  Would an extra nose helped to find Erica before she died?  Would he have let Danny take up with Ethan, knowing what he was, or Lydia with Aiden for that matter? Could he have helped Cora against Aiden and saved Derek his Alpha Spark? Could he have stopped the twins killing Boyd? Could he have changed anything about what happened with the Darach?  And most of all, could he have stopped Danny getting hurt?

 

After a few minutes of painful ‘what ifs’, Jackson shook himself and headed to the house, desperate for sleep.  He wasn’t even thinking about what he was doing, going into the house of the boy who still scrambled his brain, no matter what he did to try and forget him.  As the door clicked closed behind him Jackson looked around the room, taking in the homely atmosphere.  There were pictures all over the walls, showing Scott in various stages through his life.  Jackson remembered most of them, having been in school with the other boy for years.

 

“McCall?” He called, wondering where he was.

 

“Up here, I’m just making the guest bed for you…” Jackson followed the sound of the voice, passing Scott’s room as he did.  He was too tired to do more than curiously look inside and snort at the disarray.

 

“Hey.”  Jackson said, leaning against the doorframe.  “Thanks for this.”  Through the haze he was vaguely proud of himself, it wasn’t often he thanked people, but even he could see that Scott was going out of his way for someone he didn’t like. 

 

“No problem… how you doing? You look like you’re about to collapse? When did you sleep last?”  Jackson shrugged, legs starting to shake again.  “Danny’ll pull through, you’ll see. And I bet that knowing you’re here will pull him through faster… It’s so awesome you came back. You’re a great friend.”  Scott said, looking down.

 

Jackson opened his mouth to reply but all that came out was a painful squeak and an embarrassing hiccup as his eyes filled with tears.  He just couldn’t deal with someone being nice to him.  Scott grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to the bed, pushing him back onto it so he was sitting on the edge.  Jackson was mortified as the other boy sat next to him and pulled him in for a hug.  Being wrapped in those arms broke him though and tears burst forth. 

 

Jackson reached up to push Scott away, instead though his fists bunched in the material of the other boy’s T-shirt and he cried harder.  “I wasn’t here… If I was here I could have stopped it…” He managed to choke out between tears.

 

“Shhh, shhhh, shhhh.”  Scott rubbed a soothing hand in circles across Jackson’s back.  “You can’t know that.  He was with Ethan, you wouldn’t have been on their date anyway… hopefully…”  Scott added, trying to illicit a chuckle.  “You’re here now.  That’s what Danny will be thrilled about. He talks about you a lot you know.  Ethan was quite jealous at the start…”

 

“Only at the start?”  Jackson asked, smiling through the tears, especially when Scott laughed.  He reached into the bedside draw and pulled out some tissues, passing one to the crying teen who was slowly pulling himself together. Finally the tears stopped and he took a deep breath.  “Listen McCall, if you tell anyone about that…”

 

“You’ll break my face?”  He asked sardonically.  Using the words Jackson himself had used that time in the car made him snap his head up and look into the eyes of the boy he was trying to threaten.  “Jackson…” Scott whispered, not moving away, keeping them inches apart.

 

“Scott…” He looked deep into the eyes that haunted his dreams.  Any other day, at any other time, Jackson knew he’d be strong enough to push Scott away, but in that exact moment all his defenses were down.  “What are you doing?”  He breathed, the words hitting Scott’s lips that were drawing nearer.

 

“Something I should have done on your birthday.”  He gently leaned in and kissed Jackson, waiting as the tired boy reacted to something he fantasized and denied himself in equal measure for years.  As the seconds past and Scott didn’t move away, Jackson felt the last of his defenses shatter and break.  All the pain and loneliness he’d carried with him were dropped and the bottled up side of himself burst out. 

  
Whimpering he deepened the kisses, bringing both hands up, burying them in Scott’s hair.  Under the attention, Scott collapsed back onto the bed, dragging Jackson on top of him as he did.  Jackson’s hands started to wander of their own accord, desperate to meet skin.  He felt Scott smile in their kiss and he pulled back, glaring.  “What!?”

 

“Nothing.  You’re just not what I was expecting…”  Scott smiled, “Not that I’m complaining…”

 

“I should think not! You’ve been after me for two years McCall…”

 

“Me after you!?” Scott spluttered incredulous.  “You were the one who kissed me in your car!”

 

“That’s not how I remember it…”  Jackson shrugged, “If you want me to stop… I will…”  Jackson went to move away and Scott grabbed at him, pulling him back in.

 

“Oh just shut up.”  Scott grumbled and kissed Jackson again. This time, they both took the time to enjoy the sensations.  They rolled on the bed, Scott pinning Jackson to the bed and attacking his throat. _My God, his tongue_ is _amazing._ As the row of kisses passed from one side of his neck to the other, Jackson grabbed at the back of Scott’s T-shirt, trying to drag it up over his head.

 

Scott knelt up, peeling his shirt of and dropping it on the floor.  Jackson blinked at the sight before him.  They’d shared a changing room for years, and Scott had always been lean and even slightly weedy, especially before the Bite, when his asthma had kept him out of a lot of sports.  Now though, now… Scott had bulked out even more than Jackson, or even Danny.  His chest was broad and thick, like his arms which seemed to scream power.  Jackson was staring at his stomach though, it was flat and taut, muscles defined with a clear, light trail of hair, disappearing into the beautiful boy’s jeans.

 

Looking back up at Scott, Jackson rolled his eyes.  The idiot was grinning like he’d just won the lottery.  “Like what you see, Whittemore?” Scott asked.  Jackson huffed and pushed the other boy off him.  He climbed off the bed and positioned himself in the moonlight seeping in through the window.  Slowly, he peeled his top off, flexing as he did.  Scott gasped audibly as he did and Jackson laughed, all tiredness forgotten.

 

Throwing caution to the wind, Jackson stepped out of his jeans and was delighted to see Scott’s eyes widen in surprise and glee before shucking off his own trousers.  Each took a moment to take in the other’s beautiful bodies before Jackson dove forward, craving the electric feel of skin on skin.

 

As his arms circled around Scott, Jackson couldn’t help but moan at the intense feeling of their hot, flushed skin connecting.  The boy in his arms matched his moan and Jackson rolled him so Scott was on top of him again.  He rolled his head back, encouraging his neck to be ravaged once more.  This time when Scott’s lips pushed into the skin on his neck, his hand reached down and gripped Jackson’s erection.

 

Pushing up into it, emboldened by the sudden move, he slid a hand between them and under the hem of Scott’s briefs.  The kisses stopped as he gripped the hard length in his hand.  They both paused briefly and looked at each other.  Grinning, Scott kissed him again, hand pushing inside underwear to rub at bulge he’d been palming .  Gasping, Jackson moved his own hand, turning and twisting as he pumped, pleased at how slick Scott’s cock already was.  He knew he’d been leaking pre-cum too and as they both sped up, need and desire increasing, Jackson knew he wouldn’t last long.

 

Kisses soon became forgotten, both boys focused on getting the other off.  Their gasps and panting deepened and Jackson could feel the orgasm building.  “Scott… I’m close…”  He whispered and as soon as he did he felt a deep, throbbing pulse in his hand from Scott’s cock. 

 

“Me too… Jackson… fuck… you’re amazing…”  And with that they both peaked.  Jackson bucked as he did, stomach clenching and knees pulling up.  Through the haze of pleasure he was keenly aware of the rumbling, purr which Scott was humming into his throat.  It felt amazing.  Eventually, they rolled apart and Scott went to get a towel.

 

“Hey, do you not have a bag?”  Scott asked, having cleared himself up and slipped into a pair of loose fitting, low-riding sweatpants. 

 

“Errrr… no… It wasn’t exactly my top priority… you know?”  Jackson said, suddenly self-conscious of the rapidly cooling stain in his briefs.

 

“OK, Well, I’ve got some things you can borrow if you want?” Jackson nodded and the other boy continued. “Bathroom’s across the hall if you want to… errrrr… you know…” Scott finished with a grin.

 

Jackson rolled his eyes but nodded and padded to the bathroom.  As he stripped off his dirty shorts, Jackson leant against the sink, trying to work out what just happened.  His exhaustion was catching up with him again and he fought the urge to close his eyes and just collapse onto the bathroom floor.  _What just happened?_ He couldn’t figure it out. Why had McCall done that? What did it mean?

 

There was a tap at the door, “Errrrr…, I’ve got you some sweats…?” Scott’s voice came through the door and Jackson opened it slightly, sticking out a hand.  When he felt the thick material he pulled his hand back in and slipped into the borrowed clothing, becoming engulfed in Scott’s scent.  Finding it incredibly pleasing, his stomach clenched once more and his cock twitched. 

  
Groaning, he shook his head.  _This is insane_. 

 

He hesitantly went back through to the guest room to find Scott sitting on the bed, looking nervous.  He looked up as Jackson walked in, stopping at the door.

 

“Listen, Jackson, I don’t know what this is to you,” He gestured back and forth between them, “but I do know you are beat and need rest, so… let’s not talk about it tonight, just go to sleep and we’ll talk when Danny wakes up.”  After waiting to see if Jackson wanted to add anything, Scott smiled him and went to leave the room.

 

Finding he didn’t want the goofy, sexy boy to leave, Jackson caught his arm.  “Don’t go.  I just…”  He wanted to explain.  He wanted to tell him about how seeing Danny had made him feel, he wanted to tell him how scared he was for his best friend.  He wanted to talk more about Derek, and how even though he was the one who left Beacon Hills first, he still felt abandoned by his Alpha.  He wanted Scott to explain what had happened between them, what it meant.  But instead, he just led the other boy to the bed and settled down on top of the comforter. 

 

He pulled Scott down to the bed and lay his head above the nervous boy’s heart.  It was barreling a mile a minute, which Jackson smiled at, loving the effect he was having.  However, as their breathing deepened and synched, Jackson felt it slow and the steady, peaceful rhythm lifted him off to sleep.  Tomorrow would bring it’s own challenges, but for tonight, he would sleep in the arm’s of the boy he had dreamed of for so long.


	2. News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the night before and Jackson makes some interesting discoveries.

Jackson woke feeling physically refreshed but mentally exhausted.  He was lying on his front, one arm and one leg draped over a sleeping Scott.  He froze.  The events of the previous night slammed into him and he felt his mouth gape open.  _What was I thinking?_ He scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to dislodge the last remnants of sleep.

 

Normally, he was so cautious when it came to some of the attractions he’d had on guys and especially around Scott.  He slowly and carefully lifted himself off the bed and quietly gathered his things, sneaking into the hall before putting on the slightly ripe and dishevelled clothes.  Jackson refused to acknowledge any of the feelings rushing through him as he crept away from Scott’s bedroom.

 

Fortunately, Beacon Hills was a small enough town that he could easily walk to his parent’s house and he thought the walk might clear his head a little.  Instead of gaining clarity, however, Jackson just felt more confused as he walked away from the McCall residence.  With each step he felt tears threatening to spill from his red-raw eyes and he had to make a noticeable effort to keep himself from either running away, or turning around and running back.

 

Shaking his head and knuckling at his moist eyes, Jackson focused on Danny, which bizarrely was giving him less consternation than his ill-conceived night with Scott McCall.  Checking his watch he realised it was still far too early for visiting times, but he thought his Dad would probably be up.  If he could get home, get a shower, a change of clothes, some food maybe, _maybe_ , he’d feel a bit more normal.  Then he could get back to his best friend, be there for him when he woke up, not off fooling around with…  Jackson didn’t finish the thought.

 

As he turned into his parent’s street, so familiar, so like home, twin emotions of relief and concern washed through him.  He knew they’d be pleased to see him, they’d cried enough at the airport as he left, but he was also worried they’d ask too many questions about where he’d been last night and sense something was wrong.  Before any time at all though, he was at his front door.  Patting himself down, Jackson remembered he didn’t have keys and ruefully rang the doorbell.

 

It took less than a minute before his Mom opened the door, still in her dressing gown, a look of shock quickly replaced with one of pleasure as she ran into him, knocking Jackson back a step as he gingerly hugged her back. “Jackson! What are you doing here? Oh, my God, let me look at you.” She took a step back and held him at arm’s length. “Are you eating? You look thinner? Is it the food? British food is awful, huh? I’ll put some pancakes on… DAVID! It’s Jackson, Jackson’s home.” She called up into the house.

 

Jackson heard his Dad stumbling about upstairs before he emerged, hair dishevelled, tying his dressing gown closed over his pyjamas.  “Jackson?”  He asked, clearly confused, though that quickly turned into happiness too as he came down stairs and stood before his adopted son, unsure whether to hug him, or if a firm handshake was more appropriate.  While he considered, Jackson stepped in and gave his Dad a quick hug, leaning forward and patting him on the back twice before snaking past him into the kitchen.

 

He collapsed at the breakfast bar and it was like he’d never left.  Everything was the same, the same kitchen, same stools, same groceries in the same place in the same order.  Shaking his head wryly, Jackson realised for all that he ran away to London, it made no difference, his life was still here exactly as he’d left it.  “When did you get in? Why didn’t you call?”  His Dad asked, having followed him into the kitchen.

 

“Danny was attacked by a mountain lion, he’s in a coma in hospital.”  His Mom gasped and raised a shaking hand to her mouth.  “A friend of his called me and I just came, I didn’t think to call,” Jackson shrugged, trying to pretend it wasn’t a big deal.  “I went straight to the hospital and was there until the nurses kicked me out.”

 

“So where did you stay?” His Dad asked, reaching an arm around his wife and frowning slightly.

 

Jackson paused, “at Scott McCall’s.”  He registered his Dad’s deepening frown. As a lawyer, he never forgot anything, and no doubt remembered all the bitter complaining Jackson had done when they’d been made co-captains. “His Mom is Danny’s nurse, and he’s friends with Danny’s boyfriend and was there and offered the sofa and it was late so I just thought I’d crash…”  He trailed off, ending his ramble, knowing he should add an ‘I’m sorry,’ but couldn’t.

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry… I should phone Mary.”  Jackson’s Mom hugged her husband and went to the phone to call Danny’s Mom. 

 

“You OK son?” His Dad asked, care and worry evident in his voice.

 

“Yeah… I mean… Danny’s in a bad way, but I’m glad I’m here…’

 

“So are we.  Right… get yourself sorted, I’ll finish breakfast and we’ll all go down to the hospital with coffee and food.”

 

“Don’t you have work?” Jackson asked, standing.

 

“Not now I don’t.  I’ve known that kid for fourteen years… I need to see him too.”  Jackson looked at his Dad and realised he was holding onto his emotions by sheer force of will.

 

As Jackson slowly trudged upstairs, he pushed all thoughts of Scott McCall to one side and focused on being the son his parents expected.

 

*                  *                  *

 

They’d stopped for coffees and breakfast pastries and got to the hospital just after eight in the morning.  Jackson and Danny’s parents had collapsed into each other with admonishments about not calling, and apologies on all sides.  While they were catching up, though apparently they’d seen each other only a couple of weeks previously, Jackson snuck into his friend’s room.  Danny looked exactly as he had the night before.  Still attached to a multitude of tubes, still motionless, still unconscious. 

 

Jackson lowered himself into one of the vile, green hospital chairs and started talking to Danny about London – all the places he wanted to show him. While he was trying to explain just how much the English guys he knew drank, his parents came in and sat on the other side of the bed.  Both were silent and had tears in their eyes.  Jackson felt an uncomfortable itch and seeing his Dad cry so excused himself and went out to see Danny’s parents.

 

As he left the room though, he saw Ethan limping towards him, being supported by his twin brother.  They stopped when they saw Jackson and he walked over, checking no one was nearby.  “What happened?”

 

Aiden answered, “Our old Alpha, from the Alpha Pack… he doesn’t take rejection well and took it out on these guys.”

 

“Did he Bite Danny?”  Jackson demanded of Ethan, who shook his head.

 

“I don’t think so… No.” But he worked both of us over pretty good. He broke both my arms and a leg so I couldn’t do anything…”  Ethan’s eyes were raw, but rather than tears; he saw a deep, burning hatred and anger.  “We’re going to kill him.”

 

“I’ll help.”  Jackson said instantly and the twins shared a look.

 

“Thanks… but he’s not a standard wolf… you don’t know what you’re offering.  Plus we need to convince Scott.”

 

“Why? What’s he got to do with it?” Jackson asked, confused.

 

“He’s kinda our Alpha now.”  Aiden explained.

 

Jackson was stunned.  He knew he’d asked Danny not to talk about all the werewolves and the general craziness, but he still thought Scott becoming an Alpha would be something he’d have been told.  _Why hadn’t he mentioned something last night?_ Jackson took a step back, allowing the twins to pass and frowned, thinking.  _Did this mean anything?_   He decided he needed to talk to the other boy and went to get his number.

 

*                  *                  *

 

Scott had sounded odd on the phone and as Jackson pulled up at the McCall house he found he was dreading going in.  Knowing that Scott’s enhanced werewolf senses would have heard him pull up, he didn’t want to hang around too long, so he bounced out of the car and went to the front door.  It was opened the moment he knocked.  Jackson froze as he looked into the concerned face of Melissa McCall.

 

“Oh. Oh… Hello.”  She looked confused, no doubt remembering how often Scott and Stiles complained about how Jackson treated them.

 

“Errrr… hi? Is Scott about…?”

 

Scott’s Mom nodded, frowning.  “He’s in his room. He’s… I was expecting… Do you know…?”  She seemed unable to finish a sentence.  Jackson felt his eyebrow rise mockingly and she glared.  “Just go up… Good luck.”  She whispered as he passed her and when it was safe too, he frowned, uncertain what he was walking into.

 

Jackson dragged himself up the stairs and paused outside the door he’d only slipped out of a few hours earlier.  He knocked timidly, and then cursing himself for the knock sounding so insecure, he opened the door.  The room was almost pitch black.  The curtains were drawn and looked like they had a secondary material covering the windows.  Jackson blinked, allowing his eyes to flash blue, enhancing his senses.  He saw Scott sitting in the corner, knees at his chest, red eyes glaring at the light of the door.

 

“Shut that.”  Alpha power laced the words, and Jackson found himself closing the door before he’d even acknowledged the command.  The room plunged back into darkness and Jackson found his heart beat speeding up, fear creeping up his spine.  Scott laughed hollowly.  “You smell scared Jackson.  Are you scared, little wolf?”  The voice sounded so unlike Scott, so unlike either the nervous dorky boy he knew before the Bite, or the caring, powerful wolf he became.   This voice sounded bitter and brittle.

 

“Scott…?”  He asked, hating the quiver in his voice.

 

There was a long pause before a whispered, “Jackson…?”  Came from Scott sounding more nervous and pained then terrifying.  Jackson took the change in voice as a good sign and stepped forward.

 

“What are you doing man?” Jackson whispered. 

  
“I don’t know.”  Scott whispered and sank his head into his hands.  Jackson snorted and stepped to the window, pulling aside all the material and letting light flood the room.  Scott hissed and turned his head, covering his eyes.  Through his fingers, Jackson could see twin lines of tears down Scott’s cheeks.  He’d clearly been crying; there were wet tracks down his T-shirt. 

 

Jackson slowly moved towards the cowering boy and offered him a hand.  When Scott didn’t take it, Jackson growled low in his throat and grabbed the other wolf by the arm, dragging him onto the bed.  Scott moved like a broken rag-doll.  He had no energy of his own and bumbled wherever Jackson moved him.

 

When they were both on the bed, Jackson frowned at the lifeless boy.  “I think you better start at the beginning…” He said and waited.  He was waiting for a long time as Scott stared blankly into nothing.  Suddenly, with no warning, he started talking.

 

“Deucalion had kidnapped our parents.  Allison, Stiles and I.  We needed to find them.  Deaton said he knew a way.  That it would be dangerous, but he knew a way.  We were so naïve.  We just said yes.  A darkness. He called it a darkness.  It’s so much more… It’s everything.  Everything goes black.  There’s nothing. No point. No hope.”  Scott stopped and stared again.  Jackson reached out and gently took Scott’s hand in his own.  It was ice-cold.  Scott’s gaze shifted slightly and focused on the fingers linking with his own.  “It wasn’t too bad at first.  Kind of a funk.  We just felt a bit low.  We all coped as we did.  Allison trained.  Trained with her Dad. Ran til she was sick. Stiles drank.  Like his Dad. They drank together.  I had Isaac. For a while, I had Isaac.  We were a thing, you know?  Boyfriends? He would hold me and it wouldn’t be as bad, but it still wasn’t right.”

 

Jackson frowned.  _Scott and Isaac?_ Danny really had taken the whole, no news thing, as verbatim.  “Then it got worse.  The darkness took over, didn’t just make us down, it made us mean.  Hurt us and people around us.  Stiles figured it out first.  Lydia held his blackness back; she was his anchor in the ritual.  She could, does, always reach him, plus with her Banshee powers, she could help, like really help.” _Stiles and Lydia!?_ It wasn’t unsurprising, but Jackson still felt a pang of jealousy.  “Then Allison would show up.  She needed Isaac.  Needed him in a way he’d never felt before.  He became her world.  She couldn’t function without him.  He’d never had that and he could help her a lot more than he could me. I don’t blame him. I miss them though.” Scott sniffed and Jackson squeezed his hand.  “I had Deaton.”  Scott sounded bitter, anger lacing through the name.  “Only I don’t. He won’t help.  He just says I need to get through it myself. That the darkness will pass. But it won’t. It has me. I belong to it.  I’m going to get lost in it one day. I’ll not come back and I’ll be in the dark. Alone. Forever. Never knowing the light. Never knowing love.  I’m not going to last. I know it…”  Scott’s voice had become fearful and his breathing started to come in ragged pumps.

 

Jackson span off the bed and knelt in front of Scott, positioning his face right below the other boy’s.  “Scott.  I don’t know what’s going on, but sitting alone in the darkness isn’t going to help you.  Come on… you’re coming with me.”  He stood Scott up and led him out of the stuffy, dingy room.  He slowly brought Scott downstairs out the front door.  Scott’s Mom had stood when she saw Jackson leading her listless son.  “Can I get a glass of water?” He asked her when he passed and she disappeared into the kitchen.  Opening the front door, Jackson positioned Scott on the lawn and lifted his face up to the early morning sun.

 

Scott’s arms rose, seemingly of their own accord, and Jackson stood back as he watched the other boy soak up the sunlight.  When Melissa passed him the full glass of water, he stepped forward and unceremoniously dumped the ice-cold contents over Scott’s head.  Gasping, eyes wide, he slowly turned to Jackson, incredulous.  Jackson grinned and slapped him playfully on the chest. “Tag.”  He barked and bolted away.

 

He heard, and sensed, Scott pounding after him.  Whooping a laugh, Jackson ran them in tight circles around the street and the McCall front yard, laughing all the while.  It wasn’t until he heard Scott laugh that he allowed himself to be caught.  Scott pinned him to the floor and shook out his wet hair, showering Jackson with droplets of still cold water.  “Gross dude!” He complained turning his head one way, then the other.

 

“You tipped water over my head!” Scott exclaimed, grinning.

 

“Yeah.  You were being an emo douche.  You can thank me whenever.”  Scott gasped a laugh and pinned Jackson harder to the ground.  Jackson squirmed underneath him and they both blushed.  “Really Scott? Your Mom is right there.”  Scott jumped off him as if burned and turned away from his Mom, blushing.  Jackson sat up, pulling his knees up to hide the bulge in his jeans.

 

They both took some calming breaths and settled themselves.  Scott turned back to his Mom who was still looking bemused.  He hugged her and whispered some apologies, though it was clear he couldn’t remember what he was apologising for.  She just held him tight and told him she loved him, over and over.  Jackson turned away, feeling uncomfortable.

 

Eventually the McCall love-in was over, and Scott helped him back to his feet, inviting him in for breakfast.  They collapsed on a sofa while Scott’s Mom offered them pancakes. “So… You came back?” Scott asked.

 

“Errrr… yeah.” Jackson rubbed at the back of his neck and sat back. “Look… last night… I don’t-“

 

“Let me stop you right there.”  Scott interrupted and Jackson blinked, shocked.  “Last night had been building for a while, ever since you kissed me on your birthday.”

 

“You kissed me!” Jackson protested and Scott looked at him with a withering look.

 

“ _You_ kissed _me._ But I wanted you too.  Somewhere, I don’t know where, I had wanted you too.  Then you went uber-dick on us and I tried to squash it.  But, look… I know I’m bi, I have since Isaac and I hooked up.  Mom knows, Stiles knows, everyone knows. Nothing happened.  I don’t know what you are, gay or bi, or if you even want to label it, but you and I… we have something.  I want to explore it.  I want to go on a date at least, but you are _not_ sweeping it aside like nothing.  OK… I’m done… you go.”

 

Jackson just sat, dumbfounded.  “I think I preferred you better all dorky and nervous.” He grumbled.

 

“No you don’t.”  Scott chuckled and gave Jackson a wry smile, who just glared ineffectually.

 

“Whatever.” He paused, both trying not to think and think everything through really quickly. “Fine.  If you want.  We can go on a date.”  Scott grinned and Jackson felt his heart lift.  “But!” He added quickly, “I’m not telling my parents so we can’t tell anyone.”  Scott frowned but nodded, slowly.  “I’m not kidding.  Not Stiles, not Danny, not your Mom…”  Scott’s frown deepened, and he crossed his arms across his chest.

 

“OK.  For now.  We don’t tell anyone, but if we decide to go past dating, I’m not lying.  We’re friends until something happens, then I’ll tell whoever I want.”  Jackson glared but nodded.  He’d cross that bridge when he came to it – at least he’d got Scott to agree not to say anything yet.

 

“And we need to talk about this whole ‘darkness’ thing.”  Scott’s smile fell and Jackson felt like the worst person ever for bringing it up, but he felt it was going to be important.  “So.  I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at seven?  Dinner and a movie?”  He hoped he sounded as casual as he’d hoped, but Scott’s snort and smile made it seem unlikely.

 

“Sure.”  That crooked smile sent waves of nervous energy through Jackson who decided that, despite what it made him feel, he needed to make Scott smile like that again, and again, and again.

 

“That’s not actually why I came over though… The twins told me about you becoming an Alpha, but not how… they also want to…” he dropped his voice, “kill the wolf who hurt Danny.”

 

Scott nodded.  “I expected they would.  We can’t though… Those guys are trying so hard to start over, if they go back to killing… I don’t know what it’d do to them.  And… I can’t.  I want to, really really bad.  But… I don’t think it’s me that wants it.  I think it’s the darkness.  If I give in to it now, I don’t know what it would mean.”  Scott’ voice was brittle and pained once more and Jackson impulsively reached out and hugged him.

 

Scott tensed in his arms and Jackson growled, not in warning, just a low pulse of belonging.  He rumbled, deep in his throat, hands holding the Alpha tight.  Scott took a deep breath and growled back, in harmony with Jackson.  It sent a pulse through them both, like an electric spark, causing them to twitch and Scott giggled. 

 

“Well… that was unexpected.” He said, pulling away from Jackson, smiling again.  “Thanks.”

 

“No problem.”  Jackson said, smiling back, heart bursting. “But… what are we going to do about this other Alpha? He needs to pay… Danny’s hurt…”  Jackson could feel his anger building.

 

“I know.  But… we can’t kill.  We can’t. I _will_ do something, though… I promise.”  Scott said.

 

“And…” Jackson really didn’t know how to broach the subject.  “You’re an Alpha…?”

 

“Yeah.” Scott nodded then realised what Jackson was asking. “Oh! No! No… I didn’t kill an Alpha, Deaton says I’m a True Alpha, an Alpha who becomes one through force of will…”  He tried to smile reassuringly at Jackson, who nodded.

 

They were called through for breakfast and Jackson followed Scott to the kitchen.  _Oh, I am falling hard._ He thought to himself ruefully.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson's life get's into a routine after an interesting first date with Scott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update, too mant fics running around my tiny tiny mind...

“You knew they’d be here didn’t you!” Jackson hissed at Scott, who just looked at him like he was crazy.

“What? No. How could I? Come on they’ve seen us.”  Scott waved over to Stiles and Lydia who were sitting at a booth, looking surprised.  Jackson rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw, biting back a string of complaints before following.  He didn’t know why his ex and her annoying new boyfriend looked so shocked to see him; Scott would have told Stiles and he’d texted Lydia to say he was back.

“Bro!” Stiles called in his typically over-enthusiastic fashion, “You’re here. With Jackson. Together.”  Jackson stopped as it clicked.  They weren’t surprised to see him; they were surprised seeing him and Scott together.

“Yeah, just catching him up on all the wolvy news – Danny’s not been filling him in like we thought.”

“Nice choice of words,” Lydia murmured just loud enough to interrupt and Jackson glared at the spiteful look she threw him.. 

“There’s no change by the way, he’s still . . .” Scott finished, looking apologetically to Jackson.  The other boy just shook his head; he really didn’t want to talk about Danny in front of these two. 

“Oh.” Stiles looked sheepish then gestured to the empty seats, “join us.  We’ve not ordered yet.”  Scott nodded instantly and slid into the table.  What progressed was possibly the most uncomfortable meal of Jackson’s entire life.  Stiles was clearly bursting to ask more about what Scott and Jackson were doing together, while Lydia spent the entire meal just staring at him.

“You look different.” She said at one point while Scott and Stiles were discussing Deucalion.

“Whatever.” Jackson had replied, cocking an eyebrow and scanning the room, ignoring her.

“I can’t tell if I like it.” She’d drawled, fiddling with her hair.

“Well, you’re gonna have to just imagine all the fucks I don’t give, princess.”  He’d grinned at her briefly before going back to ignoring them all.  He’d become aware that they’d all stopped and looked at him.  Jackson had just ignored them all, not even remotely interested in appeasing this specific group of people, well not all of them anyway.

As Stiles and Lydia got up to leave, Jackson caught Scott’s eye and noted the way he was frowning.  Doing his best not to snort in derision, he plastered a smile on his face and said a hearty goodbye to the sickening loved up pair.  “Did you see that? They were touching each other the entire time; it was like they literally couldn’t stop, he reeked of her.  I mean I knew Lydia was clinging but Stiles must really bring out her worst side.”  Jackson snuffed a laugh and watched the pair leave the restaurant.

Scott was quiet for a moment.  “It’s how she keeps his darkness away. The physical contact helps . . . she’s actually weaning him off it, but seeing you was a bit of shock, they must have been fighting hard to keep it at bay.”  Jackson frowned a little and looked at the boy he’s with.

Scott’s brows are drawn and his eyes are dark.  “Oh.” He said, uselessly.

“And it doesn’t help that you were only nice to them when they were leaving.  Maybe you haven’t changed at all.”  Scott’s voice took on an edge and Jackson looked up worried; he’d heard that tone before. “Maybe you’re still the scared little mean boy you always were.” Scott started listing a litany of character defects but Jackson just zoned him out, recognising this as the darkness Scott had mentioned before.

Eyes darting, brain spinning, Jackson tried to think of a way to make Scott laugh again but it was dark out and if he tried saying anything he’d just get caught up in the insults being hurled his way.  Suddenly his eyes alighted on Scott’s hand. It was on the table, nervously spinning a knife, over and over.  Licking his lips, looking around to see if anyone was watching, he slowly reached out and covered Scott’s hand with his own.

The insults instantly stopped and they both stared at their hands.  Cautiously, Jackson span Scott’s hand so it was palm up and linked their fingers together.  His mouth was dry and Jackson found it a little hard to swallow.  Looking directly into the other boy’s eyes he could actually see the storm lifting from them, irises clearing and comprehension sinking in.

“What? What did I-?. . . I didn’t mean what I just said.”  Scott sounded so humble and contrite but Jackson just waved the apology away.

“Whatever, dude. I don’t care. I’m sure I’ve called you worse.  Left testicle, if I recall.”  Jackson smiled and watched as the other boy searched his memory.

“Oh my God. You totally called me a testicle!” Scott huffed a small laugh that made the other boy fight a grin.  It was at that exact moment that their server came back the table.  Jackson snatched back his hand so quickly it felt like he dislocated several fingers as he did.

“Can I get you guys anything else?”  The server asked, an amused expression on his face.

Scott gave a little shake of his head, but smiled up at the young man, causing Jackson to fight back a small, jealous growl.  “No, we’re good, just the bill, thanks.”  They sat in an awkward silence for a moment until Scott asked, somewhat confused, “Did you expect him to, like, what, throw us out?”

“No.” Jackson said, defensively.  He honestly didn’t think, it was an instinct, to pull away and hide. 

“No.” Scott copied his tone and pushed his shoulder jokingly, though Jackson suspected he just wanted physical contact again.  He left his hand open under the table, waiting for Jackson who cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head, knowing exactly how unimpressed he looked, but joined his hand back with the other boy anyway.  Scott hummed in pleasure and Jackson felt a small part of him relax at the sound.

When the server came back with the cheque, Jackson fought his instincts and almost completely resisted the urge to pull back, only a slight twinge in his fingers that Scott obviously felt.  He said nothing though, only gave Jackson’s hand a quick squeeze.  They had an awkward time fishing money from their wallets singlehandedly but it felt important not to break the link they’d made.

They sat and chatted about the movie they were going to see for a while, then Scott, thankfully, let go of his hand and stood to leave.  He shoved his hands deep into his pockets as Jackson threw his jacket on, clearly not expecting the other boy to hold his hand on the way to the theatre. 

The rest of their date continued without a hitch, though they surreptitiously held hands from start to finish.  He’d tried to make a joke of it, which had completely back fired. “If we keep this up, I’m going to get very good at doing things one handed.”

“I thought the whole point of this was to see if maybe you didn’t have to do _things_ one handed anymore.”  The smirk Scott gave Jackson was absolutely filthy and left nothing to the imagination.  Jackson had blushed and sunk lower into his chair but hadn’t let go of the other boy’s hand.

Scott drove them home and pulled up into Jackson’s parent’s drive, killing the engine.  They turned to look at each other, and Scott spoke first. “Well, bits of that were a really fun evening.”

“Bits?” Jackson asked.

“Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be double dating on purpose anytime soon but, yeah, I had fun.”

“So, we’re going to do this again?”  Jackson asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

“If you want to.” Scott smiled bashfully.

“Yeah, I do.”  Jackson leant in, angling for a kiss, but Scott leant back.  “What?”

“Are you wanting to take this to the next level?”  He asked with a smile, but Jackson knew what he meant – did he want to go public.  He folded his arms and glared at the dashboard.  _This sucks, or doesn’t, which sucks more_.  “Because I don’t know how close you and Danny were as ‘friends’ but when Stiles and I hang out, it doesn’t end up with making out in the jeep.”  Scott gave him a sly little smile that didn’t help matters at all.

“You said until ‘something happens’, I thought you meant like, something serious, not just kissing.” Jackson grumbled.

“Sorry bud, these lips are off limits until we figure out what his is gonna be, I’m not that kinda guy. Apparently.” Scott laughed a little and placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.  Without really thinking, he dropped his head and nuzzled the back of Scott’s hand. 

“Fine, whatever.” Jackson got out of the car before he made a complete fool of himself, slamming the door maybe a little too hard as a left.

 

*            *            *

 

The days fell into a bizarre routine.  He went straight to the hospital first thing every morning, sitting with Danny after his friend’s parents woke up and went to clean themselves up a little.  They’d spent every night at Danny’s bedside, keeping vigil, but there had been no change. Ethan would normally appear around lunch, and him and Jackson would sit, each holding one of Danny’s hands.  They didn’t talk much, but Jackson found he grudgingly liked the other wolf, though that may have been as Ethan smelled so much like his best friend.

At some point in the afternoon, doctors would come in and consult charts and do tests, clearing the room.  That’s when Jackson would leave, either heading to Scott’s or just walking around the town.  He always headed back to Danny before dinner, either with his parents, or out with Scott, or even one night with Scott and his Mom.  Every night when he left his best friend he would whisper the same thing.

“You can wake up now Danny.”  But he never did.

One night, a couple of weeks after Jackson had returned his Dad asked him to stay at the table after they’d east.  His Mom had gone out to her bridge club and it was just the two of them.

“We need to talk about Scott McCall.”  His Dad said and Jackson froze, face becoming completely impassive.

“OK.”

“I need to know what’s changed between you two.  Just over a year ago you had me file a restraining order against him, and now you spend most evenings with him?”  His Dad asked, sounding almost incredulous.  Jackson didn’t respond, there was nothing he could say.  “Is there something-“  Jackson’s jaw clenched and he felt the muscles in his neck pulse. “Look, son, there’s nothing you could ever say that would make us love you any less.”

He sounded so sincere but Jackson knew, _he knew_ , that there was something, exactly one thing that he could say which would mean exactly that.  So he stayed silent.  Sighing, his Dad tried a different tack, “Ethan’s a nice lad, don’t you think?” Jackson frowned briefly and shrugged.  “We bumped in to him and Danny at the movies one night, ended up taking them for dinner after.”  Jackson looked up and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.  “They’re good kids.  I know your Mom liked them too.  They told us about going on a double date with Scott and Isaac, I didn’t make the connection straight away, but he was talking about Scott McCall right?”

Jackson shrugged, trying to control his breathing.  His Dad continued talking, “Did you know Scott was gay?”  He asked quietly.  Jackson shrugged again, the very epitome of teenage eloquence. “Fair enough, is he still with Isaac, do you know?”  Jackson shook his head.

“Do you want me to stop hanging out with him?” He asked his Dad.

“What? No! Why would you think that? We’ve never told you who your friends should be.”  He shrugged again and his Dad huffed in his seat opposite him.  “Talk to me, son!” Jackson jumped a little, not used to that tone from his Dad.  Fists clenching, he bolted, ignoring the call of his name, sprinting out of the door.  He ran. 

Without thinking about it, he ended up at Scott’s house.  Eye’s burning, throat raw, he ground his teeth and walked up to the front door, pounding on it.  Scott answered the door, a confused look in those frustrating and bewitching eyes.

“You. _You did this me._ ” Jackson hissed at the other boy as he stormed past him.

“Well, hello, please come in, I’m fine thanks,” Scott grumbled sarcastically.

“I was _fine,_ I was _perfect_ , until you came along.” Jackson swept up to Scott, almost yelling in his face, fists clenched by his side.  Scott managed to cock an eyebrow, mocking him.  “You know what, _fuck you Scott,_ how about that, how about you fuck off and leave me the hell alone.” Jackson was aware that his voice was shaking and he was about an inch from Scott face, but all the other boy did was give him a little smile and stepped aside, heading to the kitchen. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, you’re being an ass.”  Scott called over his shoulder, not stopping.  Jackson pulled up short. This is not what he had expected.  He had thought Scott would yell, shout, fight even, but not just ignore him.  Annoyingly, he seemed to be making a sandwich.  Growling, he walked though to see the infuriating boy who so deftly handled him. “Want a sandwich.”

“No.”

“No.” Scott had a way of mimicking him which made him chuckle even though he knew he was being mocked.

“Shut up McCall.”  He muttered as he leant against the counter.

“Want to tell me what all that was about now?”  Scott asked without looking up.

Jackson scrubbed a hand over this face, running his fingers through his hair.  “My Dad. We just had a . . . weird . . . conversation.”

“What about?”

“You, kinda.”  Scott looked up puzzled, clearly hoping for an explanation. “He was just quizzing me about why we’re friends, you know what with the whole, you and Stiles kidnapping me-”

“Trying to save you.”

“Kidnapping,” Jackson smiled, “and the restraining order I had on you.  One of my finer strategies in keeping you away from me.” He grumbled, folding his arms.

“Aw, Jacks, you really are cute when you sulk.”

“Shut up.”  He dropped his head though so Scott couldn’t see the small smile he couldn’t keep off his face.

“So he grilled you about us being friends?’

“Errrrr . . . more about him knowing you’re . . . that you’re . . .”

“A werewolf?” Scott asked, worriedly.

“Oh, no, errrr… kinda gay.”

“Oh, is that it?” Scott asked, head tilted.  Jackson glared at him, annoyed that his so-called friend didn’t understand.

“Yes! He was asking about us, and he knows about you, which means he probably thinks I’m . . .” Jackson paled, trying not to even finish the thought, let alone the sentence.

“Well, did he sound upset about it?” Jackson didn’t answer, knowing that if he did Scott would encourage him to tell his family about how he was sort-of, sometimes, a little bit attracted to guys.  “Jacks.  They won’t care.”  Jackson’s glare was short-lived as Scott came walked over and hugged him.  Ducking his head in to Scott’s shoulder, he drew as much comfort as he could from the other boy.

“I don’t want to.” Jackson mumbled but didn’t pull away.

“I know, I know.”  Scott pulled back slightly and pressed a slow, steady kiss onto Jackson’s lips.  It was perfect.  It was a moment that he wanted to last forever, but all too soon it was over and Scott stepped back, though he still slid his hand down into Jackson’s.  “And don’t panic, that’s not the ‘something’ . . . you just needed it.”

“Why are you doing this?” Jackson asked quietly.

“Because.  I like you.  And since all the craziness started I’ve almost died twenty, thirty, forty times and I don’t know, I’ve decided to snatch at ever scrap of happiness where I can.”

“I’m a scrap of happiness?” He asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Right now, yeah.  I’m hoping it’ll become something more, but for now, I’ll take it.” Scott grinned and kissed him again, quick and fast.  “Like that.  That one was for me.” Jackson laughed and Scott grinned.  _That smile! It’s just . . . unfair._

“But what if-“

“What if rocks fall and everyone dies?  Life Jackson.  You should try living it and stop second-guessing all the time. Most of the time you will never, never know what other choices would have brought you so why not make the most of what you have now.”  Jackson nodded, it made sense.

Both boys turned to look at the front door as it opened, Scott’s Mom coming in, several brown bags of groceries in her arms.  “Scott!” She called, not looking into the kitchen, “could you come give me a hand?”  Scott pulled his hand away from Jackson, trying to save him from embarrassment, but Jackson held on, ignoring the surprise in Scott’s eyes.  “Sweetie, you there?” Mrs McCall called again.  “Oh, hello boys, could you please help-“ Her eyes finally alighted on their hands.  “Oh.  Well. Oh. OK.” The three of them stood there for a few seconds, before Scott’s Mom hefted her shopping pointedly.  They let go of each other and quickly went to help. “So, Jackson, have you eaten, would you like to stay for dinner?” 

“Errrr, I ate with my Dad earlier, thank you though.”  He said, remembering that other people put stock in things like saying thanks.  Jackson placed his bags on the table and turned to looked at Scott who was grinning from ear to ear.  “If it’s OK with you, ma’am, there’s something we have to go do?” He asked Mrs McCall.

“Did he just ‘ma’am’ me?!” She asked her son, incredulous. “Oh, sweetie no.  Call m Melissa.  And it’s fine, you boys go, home by eleven though Scott.” She said, throwing her son a set of car keys.

“Mooooom.” Scott whined and Jackson smiled at how childish he sounded.  He slipped his hand back into Scott’s and led him outside.  

“Where are we going?”

“My house.  I need to talk to my Dad.”  Jackson said, trying to ignore the nerves building inside him.

“Seriously!” Scott sounded beyond delighted as he clutched at Jackson’s shoulder, almost dancing with joy.

“Calm down MCCall, if you’re right it’s not going to be a big deal.”  He tried to hide his fear but there was a slight quiver in his voice he knew Scott would pick up on.

“It _will_ be fine.  You’ll see.”  Scott reassured him as they got into the car.

The drive was agonisingly quick and Jackson had already changed his mind by the time they pulled up in front of his parent’s house.  He was just about to suggest to Scott that they wait another couple of days but when he turned to look at the other boy, Jackson’s heart melted at how happy he looked.  Leaning across, Jackson stole a kiss, enjoying Scott’s smile as he did.  Pulling away, Scott nipped forward, planting one more kiss; “for luck. Do you want me to wait here?”

Swallowing his trepidation, Jackson shook his head, “No. Just, let me do the talking, OK?”  Scott nodded and followed him into the large house.  “Dad?” He called when he got in.

“I’m here.” His Dad sounded tired, sad almost and Jackson had to consciously force his feet to move to the dining room where his Father was sitting with a large whisky in front of him.  Jackson paused, it was uncommon to see his Dad drink; normally it was only at special occasions, or when business associates came round.  Not sure what it meant, Jackson froze.  “I’m here son, what do you need.”  There was a definite sad edge to his voice, though if anything he sounded resigned more than anything else.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Fine, fine, sit, what do-“  He cut off as Scott sheepishly appeared in the doorway.  Without looking Jackson knew the other boy’s face would be worried, lips pursed and eyebrows trying to escape a frown.  “Oh.  Hello.”

“Dad, you remember Scott McCall.”  He felt Scott give a little wave before shoving his hands back into his pockets.

“Of course, hello.”  His face had grown still and he turned his eyes back to Jackson who knew he was staring hard at his Dad’s face, searching for any flicker of the look he’d seen all those years ago.

“Dad.” He said and stopped. “Dad.” He tried again.  No one else spoke or tried to interfere, both of them happy to wait for Jackson to find his words.  “Dad.  This is Scott.”  He grimaced, annoyed at his own inability to form a simple sentence.

“I know.” His Dad said, kindly and Jackson choose to believe that he’d chosen those words specifically, _I know_. Licking his suddenly dry lips, Jackson tried again.  “He’s not gay, he’s bi.”  He eventually muttered. 

“Oh. OK. Sorry Scott, I didn’t know.”  His Dad looked at Scott and gave a half smile.

“That’s OK, it’s not big deal.”  Scott’s voice quivered a little and Jackson kicked himself.  _I’m fucking this up and now Scott sounds hurt._

“He’s bi. I’m gay.” He mumbled and his eyes flashed up to his Dad’s face, hating himself for needing to see the disappointment there.  Instead though his dad threw his hands in the air and gave a ‘whoop’ that sounded suspiciously joyful.  Before Jackson could really comprehend what was going on, his Dad was up out of his chair and hugging him, holding him painfully tight.

“I know, Jackson, I know.”

“What?! How!?” Jackson gasped, sharing a shocked looked with Scott who’s jaw was slack with surprise.

His dad pulled back and gave him a strange look, “Because I’m your Dad.” He replied as if that explained anything.

“But, but, but, how?” Jackson stammered.

“Oh, I don’t know, it was just something we figured out.  Last year, you started acting all different, started hanging out with new people, became even more secretive.”  He ruffled Jackson’s hair fondly, and the younger man pulled away, frowning. “It just made sense.”

“You’re not upset?” Jackson asked, stunned.

“No! God, no! Why would be I upset . . .?” His Dad asked, frowning a little.

“I just thought, when I told you Danny thought he was . . . you looked . . .” Jackson shook his head, trying to remember the look he was sure he saw.

“What? I remember being surprised, you guys were so young, but it’s not like I cared . . . Son, Jackson . . . Have you been worried about telling us?” His Dad asked, gripping his son’s arms.

“I dunno . . . I guess. I thought you’d be . . . disappointed?” 

His Dad pulled him in to another hug whispering kind words and Jackson just spaced out.  He saw Scott knuckling at his eyes and made a mental note to give him shit for it later.  Jackson’s Dad turned to Scott after Jackson had had enough hugging and extended his hand to shake.

“I’m David. My wife should be home in about an hour, I know she’ll want-“ The front door opened and Jackson rolled his eyes at the constant interruptions which seemed to be a theme that evening.  His Mom walked in, immediately stopping seeing someone she didn’t recongise.

“Hello?” She asked, looking to her husband and son.

“Oh! You’re early!” Jackson’s Dad quickly went to her side and dragged her over to Scott.  “Honey, this is Scott, Jackson’s boyfriend.” Scott eyes went a little wide and he looked at Jackson who held up both hands, trying to stop his parents. It was too late though as his Mom dove into Scott’s arms, sweeping him into a hug, spinning him round and round.

“Really?!” She dropped Scott and bolted to headed to her son. Jackson kept his hands up, backing off. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you finally told us. Come here.” She eventually managed to get him into a hug that he graciously accepted.  Putting his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her away.

“OK, OK, OK! That’s enough.  And . . . we’re not, that is, we haven’t, we aren’t . . . “ He looked to Scott for support, help, clarification, _anything_ but the other boy just made a gesture like he was locking his lips and Jackson tilted his head, giving Scott a look of extreme displeasure.  “We’re not boyfriends.” Jackson mumbled and his parents looked bizarrely crestfallen.

“Yet.” Scott couldn’t help adding, grinning at Jackson.

“Yet.” He confirmed, sharing a smile with the other boy.

“Oh my God! I almost forgot . . . Danny.  His Mom called, we need to go to the hospital, _now_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it...
> 
> Only one more chapter... OK maybe 2 (just changed the number of chapters in this fic...)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> G*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny wakes up and Jackson learns of Deucalion's plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello peeps,
> 
> Been a while since I've updated this fic, so thought I'd add a short chapter to get me, and you, back into the swing of it...
> 
> Still got the same two chapters to come, so yeah...
> 
> Enjoy!

Jackson was worrying his lips and couldn’t seem to stop his leg from bouncing up and down.  The four of them had bolted straight out to the car as soon as Jackson’s Mom had told them Danny was awake.  The two boys had sat in the back, letting David quiz his wife over the tiny piece of information she had.  They’d soon fallen into an nervous, excited silence, Scott’s heart rate a rapid counter point to his own, clearly happy Danny was going to be all right.

 

Flicking his eyes to the front seats, checking his parents weren’t looking, Jackson placed his hand, palm up, on the centre of the back seat, knowing Scott would take it.  As their fingers linked, he squeezed, happy that the other boy was there and happy they could hold hands. They shared a small smile and Jackson wondered how long he’d have to wait before that ‘yet’ on boyfriends would become a reality.

 

The drive took exactly as long as it always did, but, even with Scott there, it seemed to take at least ten times as long.  Eventually though, they made it to the floor where they’d all spent so many hours and Jackson’s Mom ran the last few meters to Danny’s Mom, hugging the other woman for all she was worth.  Danny’s Dad was nowhere to be seen, so Jackson guessed he was in his son’s room.  Ignoring the crying mothers, he swept on light feet around the corner and into his best friend’s room. 

 

A lot of the machines were gone, though almost all the bandages remained.  Danny’s eyes instantly snapped to Jackson’s as soon as he appeared in the door and they shared a happy, wide and true smile.  “Hey.”  Danny croaked and Jackson felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

 

“Hey.”  He said, walking in and around to his usual side of the bed, nodding to Ethan who was sitting holding one of his boyfriend’s hands.  Danny’s Dad got up from his seat and offered it to Jackson, allowing him to sit opposite the red-haired werewolf and take Danny’s other hand.  Scott hung back in the doorway, though called across a greeting and his happiness that his friend was awake.

 

“You’re not in London.”  Danny spoke in a whisper and Jackson squeezed his friend’s hand involuntarily, pained to hear him so weak.

 

“No shit, D.” Jackson’s own voice broke a little on that simple sentence and he had to take a few seconds to collect himself.  “How you feeling?”

 

“I’m OK. Tired. I’ve been out for a while I think.”  Danny looked over at Ethan who nodded.

 

“Just over two weeks.”  As Jackson spoke, his friend’s head rolled back to him and he smiled, happy to have Danny’s attention again.  “I came as soon as Scott called me. Just dropped everything.” He smiled, trying to let his friend know he was happy to have done so.

 

“Shit dude, sorry, you in trouble with school?”  Danny asked.  Jackson rolled his eyes.  It was so like his friend to think of others first, even wrapped in bandages and wounded by a psychotic werewolf, all he could do was worry about Jackson’s ridiculous life in exile.  He had accepted that now, that his escape to London was less of an escape and more of an abandonment.  This was his life.

 

“Don’t.  It’s fine.  Honestly.” Jackson rubbed his free hand up and down Danny’s forearm.  “I’m not going back, I’m staying put.”  He sensed Scott’s attention from the door and saw Ethan’s head come up, interested.

 

“Cool.” His friend said and closed his eyes.  They all waited in silence, unsure if he’d fallen asleep.  “Water.” He mumbled and all three werewolves sprang up at once, causing Danny to chuckle and then wince in pain.  As quick as all three moved to get water, they all froze and watched as Danny sucked in a breath. “I’m OK.”  He said but pressed the little red button by his hand.

 

Jackson frowned, annoyed that his friend was in pain and there was nothing he could do.  Within a minute a doctor had come in and started asking rapid-fire questions, mainly about pain and discomfort levels.  Before long she had adjusted dials, made some notes and summarily ordered the room clear, that Mr Mahealani needed his rest.

 

“No, please.”  Danny said weakly, and the Doctor nodded, tight and disapproving.

 

“Fine. One of them can stay, but don’t exert yourself.”  The Doctor frowned at them all, before she swept out of the door, mind already on the next patient and emergency.

 

“Jackson.”  Danny said, eyes closed, clearly weary.  Jackson couldn’t help the smug smile creep up, especially when he saw Ethan’s very frustrated jealousy and annoyance at not being asked to stay.   He slowly sat back down and took Danny’s hand, arching an eyebrow at his best friend’s boyfriend, unable to feel anything than triumph at being chosen.  It lasted until Scott rolled his eyes and shook his head at Jackson before stepping into the small room and casually throwing his arm over his Beta’s shoulder.  Jackson growled lightly at seeing Scott so affectionate with someone else and his rumble deepened when Scott winked at him as he and Ethan left.  _Dick_.  He thought grumpily.

 

“Are you growling?” Danny asked, eyes still closed.

 

“Sorry dude.  You OK?”  Jackson shook loose any thoughts of Scott and focused on his friend.

 

“I hurt.”  Danny said and took a shuddering deep breath. 

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jackson asked quietly.

 

Danny was silent for a long, long time and Jackson sat, for once in his life, happy to wait patiently for someone else.  He had waited for so long for Danny to wake up he could wait a few minutes for him to collect his thoughts. “It was Ethan’s old Alpha, Deucalion.”  Danny paused and opened his eyes, searching his friend’s face for a reaction, but Jackson kept his face blank, merely nodding for him to go on.  “He just came out of nowhere, pushed me over and away from Eth.  Then there were these… crunches… and Ethan screamed.  When I looked back his leg was at this crazy angle and Deucalion just … he walked over… all calm like and just started hitting me.  Like, really going for it.  He wanted Ethan to see.” Danny stopped again for a while.  “I thought he was going to kill me.  Honestly Jackson, I thought he was.”  Danny gripped his hand harder and Jackson fought the urge to say something.  “He dragged me away from Ethan and picked me up like I was nothing.  He said… he said he was going to bite me, like Bite bite.” He frowned at Jackson who nodded showing he understood.  “He said he needed a new Alpha pack so was going to Bite all of Scott’s humans, me, Stiles and Alison and set us on killing Scott, whichever of us did would be his first ‘new Alpha.’ Danny closed his eyes.  “Said he wanted me to beg for it.”  Danny whispered and the cold fury in Jackson’s stomach exploded through him.  _I don’t care what Scott says, I’m killing him._

“He won’t get near you again, I swear to you D.”  Jackson said and Danny just shook his head.

 

“Jackson. I tried.  I swear, I kept saying no.  He told me the first one I would have to kill is Ethan.  I kept saying no, I really did… but … he kept hitting me, telling me it would stop if I asked for it but I kept thinking about Ethan and I just, I…”  He trailed off as tears escaped from his eyes.

 

“Danny, it’s OK, we’re all here for you.” Jackson said, weakly, knowing how lame it sounded.

 

“You don’t get it,” Danny mumbled.  “At the end… just before Scott, Isaac and Allison, found me.” Danny stopped and swallowed, hard. “I asked.  For the Bite.  I knew what it would mean, but I asked, I just needed it to stop.”  Jackson’s heart broke as Danny collapsed into tears.  Standing, he leant over and did his best to hug his friend, careful to avoid dislodging any medical equipment.  “I didn’t want to, God Jackson, how can I look at Ethan again, knowing how I betrayed him?”  Danny mumbled into his shoulder.

 

Jackson pulled back and used a corner of his sleeve to gently wipe at his friend’s eyes.  “Listen here you dumb fuck,” Jackson said kindly, “no one, _no one_ , would ever think you’d betrayed anyone.  This Alpha twat was torturing you, fuck it, I would have said yes, and probably long before you.  Ethan was in this guys Pack, he’ll know what a fuckhead he was, I guarantee you he won’t care.  He proper loves you, he’s hardly left your side.” Jackson admitted, disgruntled.

 

“Yeah?” Danny asked, looking up.  “You like him then?” 

 

“Fuck no.” Jackson grinned and Danny smiled back, “though I don’t hate him… just take that, kay?”  Sitting back, he returned his hand to Danny’s, squeezing.

 

“Whatever Jackson.”  Danny rolled his eyes and gave a small shake of his head. “Well, anyway, we need to warn Scott, and let Stiles and Allison know… He’ll be after them too. Hey, what was that?” 

 

“What was what?” Jackson asked, worried he knew the answer.

 

“Your face, it did a thing?”  Danny asked and Jackson glared, annoyed at how astute his friend was, even drugged up and injured.

 

“No it didn’t!” He protested.

 

“It so did.  It did that hiding something thing… spill. Best friend privilege.”

 

“Best friend veto.”  Jackson responded easily.

 

“Uh-uh. Injured. Almost died.  Need cheering up, spill.”  Danny grinned, almost seeming like his old self, if Jackson ignored all the bandages. “Urgh! You suck, I’m gonna get Scott to Alpha it out- Wait.  Scott. Scott!”  He repeated and laughed.  “You have a Scott face! Why do you have a Scott face?” 

 

Jackson slumped in his chair, glaring at the bed, refusing to look at his friend.  In the awkward stalemate, both boys looked to the door as Scott stuck his head round the door, “Is everything OK?”  He asked, concern clear on his face and in his voice.

 

“Fine.”  Jackson grumped as Danny asked:

 

“Why?”

 

“I just heard my name, _a lot_ in like a row…?” He shrugged, “You OK, Jacks?”  He asked and Jackson nodded, frowning and looking away, desperate not to have ‘Scott-face.’  His semi-boyfriend left the room and Jackson risked looking at Danny.

 

“Jacks? Jacks?!” His voice was full of glee, “you hate being called Jacks! You once kicked a kid in the nuts for calling you it! Are you and Scott a thing?” Danny chuckled as Jackson glared at him.  “Oh my God, you are totally a thing! Are you a thing? Jacks?” He finished in a sing-song voice.

 

“Oh shut up.”  Jackson crossed his arms and tried to sink lower into the chair.  “We might be a thing.” He eventually mumbled and had to smile as Danny’s laughed filled him with joy.  Jackson knew his friend was laughing with happiness, not _at_ him, per se.

 

“This is awesome! So, wait, you went to Europe and caught gay?!  What happened?”  Danny tried to move, to shift towards his friend and gasped in pain.

 

“What is it? Are you OK? Should I get the doctor?”  Jackson rambled and looked to the door, ready to bolt no matter what Danny said.

 

“No. No, I’ll be OK.  I just need sleep, as exciting as this revelation has been… I still hurt and whatever the doctor lady gave me is kicking in… ‘m sleepy.”  Danny’s eyes fluttered shut and his heart rate dropped considerably.  Jackson watched his friend for a couple of minutes before heading out into the hallway.  He let everyone know Danny had fallen asleep again and pulled Scott aside, nodding to Ethan to follow.

 

“Danny told me what happened.  We need to get everyone together, _now_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it, I'll be adding the next chapter at the weekend so you won't have long to wait...
> 
> G*


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson has a decision to make.

It didn’t take long to get to Derek’s loft, where apparently his Alpha had been living after Jackson had left for London.  Instinctively, he started to sniff, trying to catch a scent of the man who bit him, but couldn’t find it.  Scott and his Pack had been using the space as a training ground and it seemed their scents had completely overridden Derek’s.  The sun was just setting, and the golden light shivered it’s way through the streets below them.

 

Trying not to sigh regretfully, he followed Scott over to a large bank of floor to ceiling windows and stood at his shoulder.  The Alpha was clearly running through all the information Danny had given them, trying to come up with a plan, so Jackson let him be. The twins had left to patrol around the building, trying to ensure that Deucalion wasn’t anywhere around and that the rest of the Pack got to them unscathed.

 

“God this is fucked.” Scott murmured and Jackson nodded, arms folded, unsure in himself and grumpy for it.  He just wanted to know how he should be behaving, how to act, what Scott wanted from him, but was conscious of the incredible danger hanging over them all.  “Are you OK? You look like, well, old you?” Scott said with a smile, showing it was meant fondly.

 

Jackson just shrugged.  “I’m just worried about this Alpha guy, the way you and the twins talk about him, like he’s some fighting God… I dunno, I just don’t want anyone else hurt.”  He managed to hold back how it was specifically Scott he didn’t want hurt.

 

“It’ll be OK, we just need to find him.  For all he’s wicked strong and kinda insane, he’s Packless right now, and well… I’m not, and even if you don’t want to join my Pack I’ve still-“

 

“I do.” Jackson spoke over him, quickly.  “I mean, if you want me?”  He really hoped that the quiver of need he heard in his voice wasn’t picked up by the guy he liked, but seeing the soft, warm, inviting look in Scott’s eyes Jackson thought that hope was sadly misplaced.  They both stilled, looking deep into each other’s eyes and, despite himself, Jackson looked away, scared of what Scott might see.  With his eyes closed, he only felt, rather than saw, the other boy’s hand gently turning his face back to be followed by a soft kiss, a delicate pressure making his eyes sting with unshed tears.

 

“I do too.  But it’s a pack decision… know that I want you though.”  Scott whispered, mouth mere millimetres from Jackson’s.  He still had his eyes closed but he nodded, forehead just touching the other boys. “Hey, Jacks?  Open your eyes?”  Jackson grimaced but was thankful there was no Alpha command in the tone.  It took him a few moments to battle down his fear, but eventually peeled his eyes open, resolutely not focusing on Scott’s eyes.  “What’s wrong?”  The Alpha asked, concern clear and honest.

 

“I . . . “ Jackson began and stopped.  How could he possibly explain to Scott that he was worried about getting to close, about Scott seeing to deep into him in case he saw the _thing_ that Jackson used to be.  “I just . . . This is all . . . “  He stopped again and just gave a pleading look, hoping Scott would drop it.  The other boy gave a slight nod and swayed forward, lips connecting once again.  This time, Jackson pushed forward; tongue darting forward and seeking more.  As they took the time to explore each other it seemed they lost all track of time and occasion until the door rolled open.

 

“Wow!” Stiles’ voice rang out across the space.  “Well shit in a bag and punch it, that’s not… that’s just… Lyds? What the fuck is that?”  Jackson glared at the annoyingly verbose boy but took his queue from Scott who just laughed and pulled him forward, fingers linking as their hands joined.  Jackson studied the pair through his lashes, both of them looked roughly the same as when he left, though Stiles had grown his hair out and, bizarrely, seemed to have four thick black lines on his left forearm.

 

“It’s an interesting conversation that I’ll be having with my ex-boyfriend, is what that is.” She spoke in short, clipped tones and Jackson winced internally.  He’d been on the receiving end of that voice more than once and knew his ex-girlfriend was, despite the smile she was sending him, seriously angry.

 

“Guys!” Scott called, “leave him, us, be, ‘kay!”  He was grinning as he dropped Jackson’s hand to scoop Stiles up in a hug, spinning him around.  The Alpha used the opportunity to rub his cheek against Stiles’ neck, scent marking him.

 

Stiles laughed, playfully punching his friend on the shoulders.  “Drop me! Drop me!” He stumbled back a little when Scott let him go, steadied by Lydia’s hand on the small of his back. “Good boy.” He murmured and danced away as his friend took a swipe at him.  Suddenly the door gave a loud slam and Jackson surged forward, shifting instinctively and trying to put his body between Scott and the sound.  He immediately grimaced and looked away though when he saw a surprised looking Allison and Isaac, who’d just arrived.   The noise had obviously startled Stiles too as he was standing in the same protective crouch in front of Lydia.

 

“Well… isn’t that… interesting?”  Allison said smiling.

  
“Jackson.” Isaac said, completely neutrally.  Clearly the tall werewolf knew that his former Packmate had returned, but they’d not met up, neither particularly interested in seeing the other.  Jackson shook his wolf free and took a couple of steps away from Scott, nodding at the newcomers.

 

“Oh, I’d say it’s interesting.  They were making out like virgins at Bible camp a minute ago!” Stiles called, walking over to Isaac, giving Allison’s arm a squeeze in greeting before standing in front of Isaac who quickly rubbed his cheek over the shorter boys hair.  Jackson grimaced, remembering how Derek had instructed their Pack in scents and bonding.  Clearly, Scott’s Pack were pretty much doing the same thing.  It was something he hadn’t realised he’d missed until he’d seen it.

 

“Really?”  Allison didn’t sound too surprised, merely interested, giving Jackson a small smile which he completely refused to acknowledge. 

 

“Oh my God, I have the worst Pack ever.”  Scott grumbled and pulled Isaac in for a close and easy hug.  Their scenting made Jackson’s stomach clench and a wave of pure jealousy flashed through him.  As much as he knew Allison and Isaac were a thing now, he remembered how broken Scott had sounded talking about his ex-boyfriend, and now seeing them in each other’s arms, he had to wonder if Scott really was over his ex.

 

“No you don’t, we’re awesome.”  Isaac’s head was curled into Scott’s neck and Jackson saw the taller boy’s lips brush at his Alpha’s skin as he spoke, each touch looking nothing less than a kiss.  Scott was the one who broke the embrace and as he stepped back, Isaac’s arms rose and he looked desperately imploring as his Alpha turned and walked back to Jackson.  Allison stepped into his arms, spinning so her back was against his chest.  Isaac’s head dropped and his arms closed around her, creating their own single unit.

 

“So.  Gay, huh?”  Lydia, said, eyes boring into Jackson’s.  He swallowed and gave a tight little nod, glaring at Scott, blaming him for everyone finding out the way they had.  “Well… that explains a lot.”  She said, smirking.  Jackson did his best to ignored the sniggers of the rest of Scott’s Pack, though he did risk a look at the Alpha who was frowning, clearly genuinely annoyed with his friends.  Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the door opened again and the twins walked in.

 

“No sign of Duke.”  One of them said.  They made a quick round of the Pack, rubbing cheeks or hands over heads and arms.  Jackson looked up as Ethan, at least he was pretty sure it was Ethan, moved towards him, tilting his head to rub cheeks, when Isaac threw out his arm and barked a simple command.

 

“No. Not him.”  Jackson glared but dropped his head, knowing he wasn’t really Pack.  Scott growled low in his throat and the pack stopped.  “What?! He’s not Pack.”  Isaac complained and his Alpha’s growl deepened and his eye’s dropped into a burnished red.

 

“Scott.  It’s fine.  I get it.”  Jackson murmured, annoyed but resigned.  All eyes swivelled to him and Jackson stood up straight, doing his best to stare down this group of losers.  Aside from the twins, each one of them had been enthralled with him in some way or another when he had lived here and, Pack or no, there was no way he was going to be intimidated by them.

 

“Look.  If you’ve all finished being dickish, Danny woke up and had some pretty disturbing news…”  Scott quickly explained what had happened and how they needed to find Deucalion and get rid of him.

 

“When you say, ‘get rid of’, what do you mean, exactly…?”  Allison asked.

 

“We get him off our lands and make sure he never comes back. No killing.” Scott said decisively.  “I’m serious, I’m not having us descend to his level.” 

 

“Scott,” One of the twins said, “I appreciate what you want to do, but this is Deucalion we’re talking about. He’s not going to just leave because we give him a good talking to and make him promise.”  He werewolf ducked his head and backed away from Scott, clearly aiming to look submissive, though somehow it looked off.

 

“I know.  I imagine I’ll have to fight him, but I also expect to win and will demand he leave. We _will not_ kill.”  He was emphatic and eventually his Pack gave a series of nods, some quick and easy, others tight and begrudging.  “Now.  The second thing.  Jackson will be staying in Beacon Hills and he needs a Pack and, well, that’s us so...  Jackson,” Scott turned to him. “I need you to step out side for a while, come back in when someone calls you, and come in shifted.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around Jackson, nuzzling him lightly.  “Trust your instincts.” He whispered, then added as quietly as possibly, ensuring the rest of the Pack couldn’t hear him, “You already smell like me so…”

 

Jackson stepped out of the hug and walked out of the door, closing it behind him, not looking back at the group of teenagers in the loft.  He paced outside the door for several minutes, doing his best not to overhear what was being said.  Eventually it was Allison who called out to him, “If you truly want to join Scott’s Pack, come in.”  She sounded nervous and Jackson took a deep breath before shaking his wolf out and rolling the door open.

 

The Pack, including Allison, had moved from the centre of the room to the corner.  There was a massive pile of throws and cushions, on which Lydia perched regally, completely ignoring Jackson, and only barely deigning to notice Stiles who was curled up next to her.  Allison was on her other side, twirling knifes over her fingers, but not looking his way.  Scott was stood, arms folded, in front of them, shifted and eyes blazing, the only one looking straight at him.  Jackson’s wolf instantly reacted to the presence of a strong Alpha in his element and Jackson felt the urge to submit in some way.

 

 _Trust your instincts._ Scott had said.  So he did.  Jackson dropped his eyes and tilted his head, exposing his neck.  He was still several metres away from the Pack, but it was clearly enough for the Alpha who relaxed but turned away from Jackson slightly, seemingly disinterested.  Jackson frowned, but stood still.   He wanted Scott, wanted to be with him, did Scott not want the same thing?  Was he saying that he’d put his Pack before his own desires?  Jackson, the human part of him, wanted to leave, to make a caustic comment and turn away, remain alone, but then he remembered his lifeless existence in London and suddenly realised how much he might actually need this.

 

Finally, he focused on Isaac and twins.  Jackson’s instincts urged him to stay still, so he did.  The werewolves were engaged in a bizarre three-way tussle, but it looked more like play than anything else.  Blinking, Jackson took in the entire scene.  This was the Pack.  The werewolves in the front, protecting not only their Alpha, but the humans, all of which Jackson now saw were sharpening or playing with some kind of weapon.  No one in this Pack was defenceless it seemed and they wanted to show that to Jackson. 

 

He kept watching the Pack interact, clearly on the sidelines, not involved, getting a sense of the dynamic.  Scott seemed to be aware of everyone at once, whether playing with the other werewolves or chatting with Allison or questioning Stiles and Lydia on some esoteric point they were debating.  Lydia seemed the most removed, while she was happy talking to the rest of the humans, and even Isaac, it was almost like she was ignoring the twins completely.  Once again, Jackson cursed how literally Danny had taken his ‘No news’ policy, as there seemed to be some sort of tension between them.  Allison seemed to be respected by all, whereas Stiles and his mouth more tolerated than anything else, which didn’t surprise Jackson at all.  The twins seemed the most clingy to Scott, always darting in to check on him, even if it was only for a quick touch or face rub.  Isaac seemed to be Scott’s second, the one who was both a shadow and undeniable presence.  While the Pack all clearly looked to Scott for leadership, they were all also aware of where Isaac was.  This is what Scott, and the Pack had wanted him to see. If he wanted Scott, he would need to take them all.  For the first time, Jackson hesitated. 

 

Scott he wanted.  Scott he had feelings for, though it annoyed him to admit it.  But the Pack?  Sure, Ethan seemed nice enough, and Aiden, too.  But then there was Stiles.  And Lydia. And Isaac.  Allison, he was sure he could get on with, he actually had enjoyed spending time with her, and she’d clearly never said anything about the _incident_.  Isaac though? They’d not got along hugely well in Derek’s Pack, and now, with Scott? And the history they’d shared, could they really get along? Then there was Lydia and Stiles.  A couple.  A couple that actively hated him.  Could he be a Pack with them?

 

His eyes flicked to where Lydia and Stiles were curled up together, mouths pressed together in a deep kiss.  As he watched Lydia tipped her head back, shaking her hair out and exposing her throat for Stiles to kiss along.  As he went to do so, he turned back to look at Jackson, giving him a smirk and a wink before turning his attention back to his girlfriend.  Despite the fact he and Lydia had broken up a long time ago, he still felt a wash of rage at her being claimed so by another guy.  A low growl rolled out of him and the Pack stopped to watch him, Isaac going as far as growling back, moving to place himself between Jackson and the couple.  Instantly, he stopped growling and returned to staring straight ahead.  He was trying to be accepted into the Pack, if he was, he’d be seeing that kind of thing a lot and couldn’t be put off by it now.  Even knowing that, he still felt a burst of anger explode within him at how Stiles had no doubt tried to manipulate him into doing something that would cause him to be rejected.

 

To calm down, he looked at Scott again, at the shy look he was trying to send to Jackson without the rest of the Pack seeing.  He looked so hopeful.  For all that he was in the centre of his Pack, he was alone.  Everyone in the Pack had someone else except him.  Isaac had chosen Allison over him, as she had chosen Isaac.  Stiles had chosen Lydia and Jackson got the feeling Scott wasn’t seeing as much of his best friend as he’d like to.  Ethan and Aiden were twins, so would always have each other though he guessed Ethan had Danny too.  In all of that, Scott was left to deal with his darkness alone.  What was a little sarcasm and snark in the face of being able to do that for someone, especially Scott?

 

Still riding on instinct, Jackson took a single step forward, the first movement he’d made in some time.  The Pack stopped and, as one, stared at him.  Lydia and Stiles went back to ignoring him first, closely followed by Isaac who used the opportunity to tackle Aiden to the ground, Ethan twisting away almost regretfully to help his brother.  Allison and Scott stayed watching him for almost a minute before returning to ignoring him. 

 

Jackson was getting frustrated; he’d made his move.  He’d entered their space and, after being permitted to watch them, had indicated his desire to join them, but instinctively, yet again, knew that what happened next would be entirely up to the Pack.  He was left alone for several minutes, but didn’t make a sound, just stood, awaiting acceptance, or… well, that thought was not something he particularly wanted to consider.  As he was fighting down the need to scratch his nose, Ethan seemed to disentangle himself from the puppy pile, which by now had claimed Scott, and rolled away, ending up only a couple of metres from Jackson.

 

The red-haired boy looked up at him, clearly considering what to do.  Jackson stared straight ahead, deciding he would only move on Scott’s say so.  As Ethan stood and took half a step forward he looked back at his Alpha to find Scott trying, and failing, not to look interested in what his Beta was doing.  Ethan turned back and looked about to step forward as Isaac bounced up and knocked into Ethan’s side, sending them both away from Jackson as the whirling mass of bodies moved back towards to the pile of cushions and the laughing humans.

 

Jackson felt a small shiver of disappointment jolt through him.  He had been sure Ethan was about to accept him.  Again, a part of him wanted to leave, he’d been rejected; Isaac had made sure of it, so why should he stay? But then, instincts took over and he imagined what walking away from Scott would mean, for him, for both of them.  Steeling himself, Jackson remained where he was and waited. 

 

More time passed and the Pack continued to ignore him. Jackson knew that without his time away, the self-enforced isolation and hours upon hours on his own, he would never have coped with being ignored for so long.  Suddenly, Allison stood and walked forward ignoring how the rest of the Pack stilled, watching her reach out and hug Jackson, once, briefly, before turning on her heel and heading back to her spot beside Lydia.  The shorter girl gave her friend a derisive snort but didn’t say anything.

 

Jackson resisted a small smile, but was happy to see Scott’s grin creep across his face.  The twins and Isaac’s tussling seemed to be getting a bit more serious if the growls were anything to go by.  Eventually, Aiden knocked Isaac to the ground and clambered on top of the taller boy, allowing Ethan the freedom to bound over to Jackson, barrelling into him, knocking him back a couple of steps.  The other werewolf rubbed his cheek into Jackson’s, before pulling the shorter boy forward, nearer to the Pack and swapped sides, rubbing his other cheek against the other side of Jackson’s face. “For Danny.”  Ethan lisped through his elongated teeth, the first words anyone had spoken in a while.  Jackson grinned, knowing that Danny would want him in the pack. 

 

As Ethan moved away, standing slightly aside from the rest of the Pack, Aiden gave Jackson a quick scent rub and went to stand by his brother.  Isaac stood looking at Scott and Allison for a while before letting his shoulders sag a little, a small defeated look on his face.  He took two long strides and was face to face with Jackson, using his superior height to try and intimidate the other boy.  Jackson didn’t want to back down in front of the rest of the Pack, if he was going to them, he didn’t want to seem like any of the other wolves to think they were above him.  Standing toe to toe with Isaac was becoming difficult though.  Isaac had been there when Jackson had first turned, at his first full moon, hell, it had been Isaac who had held him down when all he wanted to do was run and kill.  Remembering that awful full moon, Jackson’s wolf side instinctively dropped his eyes, just an inch, but Isaac smirked, satisfied.  Slowly, deliberately, the taller wolf wiped his hand down the side of his face before smearing his scent over the collection of fragrances building up on Jackson.

 

Flashing a quick glance at Scott, Jackson saw the frown he was directing at his Beta, clearly not impressed with how he’d marked the newcomer.   Isaac strolled over to the twins, who were looking at him, impassive and unimpressed. Jackson wasn’t sure what to do.  Allison and the Betas had all seemed to accept him but Scott was still keeping his distance and Stiles and Lydia were completely caught up in each other. 

 

Jackson wanted to fidget.  Surely that was enough?  If Scott accepted him, which Jackson was ninety nine per cent sure he would, he’d have all the werewolves, what did it matter if Stiles and Lydia didn’t accept him?  Then it struck him.  It mattered to Scott.  He wanted his best friend to accept Jackson into the Pack, and if it mattered to Scott it had to matter to him too.  _Urgh.  Being a boyfriend sucks!_ He thought to himself as he settled in to wait, even if it took all night.

 

In reality, it took about five minutes before Lydia huffed and apropos of nothing quickly walked to him and gave him a hug, walking over to Allison after she did.  After that, the Pack’s attention was solely on Stiles, who remained sitting on a cushion, leg bouncing and face flashing through a series of emotions.  “What?!” He finally demanded.  “He’s a massive fucking douche!”

 

Nobody said anything.  Jackson just looked straight ahead, thoughts crashing around his head.  Would one person be enough to reject him? What would he and Scott do? Would the other boy still want to date him? How could he share Scott with his Pack? What about if there was some random stupid monster of the week emergency? Could he leave Scott face it on his own?  Because after this the Pack would never let him near them. Fucking Stiles.   Obviously it had to be that useless bellend who fucked everything up.  He’d probably been planning something like this for some shit excuse for revenge because Jackson saw him for the annoying little tool that he was.  _I bet he’s fucking loving this._

 

Jackson had to force his heart rate to stay steady as he thought about how Stiles was about to royally fuck up his life.  “Stiles.” Scott said.  In that one word there was so much emotion that Jackson couldn’t place it all, but what he did note was the pleading.  Scott, and _Alpha_ , was pleading.  For him. A little piece of Jackson broke.  Scott wanted him so much that he was begging his best friend to put aside his resentment to let him be happy.

 

“Fuck it.” Stiles said and flailed down to stand in front of Jackson, giving him a full-on, ineffectual glare. The smaller boy grabbed Jackson’s hand and rubbed it over his head before flinging it away.  As soon as he stepped away, Scott was on him.  The Alpha knocked Jackson down to the ground and rubbed his cheek up and down Jackson’s neck, laughing wildly.  Jackson couldn’t help but laugh too.  Scott’s scent quickly dominated the rest of the Pack’s, even Ethan’s, who’d marked him pretty hard.  Jackson started rubbing his own scent on his Alpha- _My Alpha!_ – feeling his heart skip at the connection he felt building between them.

 

While he was still being marked by Scott, Jackson felt another head nudge under his arm and looked down to see the grinning face of one of the twins, edging his way into the cuddle.  For a second, Scott’s eye’s flashed red, but then he relaxed to let his Beta in.  That seemed to open the floodgates as Aiden and Isaac somehow managed to get in on top of him too.  Jackson’s olfactory glands were being bombarded by the new scents of his Pack and his head started spinning.

  
“Let him up, let him up!” Scott cried, still laughing.

 

“Oh my God! Is he gonna be sick?!”  One of the twins crowed as Scott and other pulled him to his feet.

 

“No!” Jackson said belligerently.  “I’m just a bit light headed…”

 

“Awwww, boyfer!” Scott pulled him into yet another hug before Jackson was passed around like a puppy at an elementary school.  Even Stiles gave him a hug and Jackson even murmured a bizarrely heartfelt ‘thank you’ that made Stilinski’s eyes widened in shock, so it was almost worth it by Jackson’s reckoning.  Before long, he couldn’t tell whose scent was whose, he was just one big walking werewolf stench bomb and he wrinkled his nose, unused to the sensation.  “Don’t worry, you get used to it.”  Scott said, nipping in for a quick kiss that made Jackson blush and look around nervously.  “Right.  Jackson’s part of the Pack.  Allison, you and Ethan are on newbie duty, getting him up to speed on how we do things, ok?” He asked and they nodded.  Clearly by accepting Jackson first they had taken some sort of responsibility for him.

 

“Sure, provided you ever let him out of your sight.” Allison said, smiling at her ex-boyfriend.

 

“Or out of your arms.”  Ethan murmured getting a chuckle from his Alpha.

 

“So… what’s the plan, big strong man?”  Stiles asked, then frowned, “Er… big strong wolf?”  Lydia rolled her eyes but gave her boyfriend a quick smile too.

 

“OK.  Until we can find him, we need to try and stay as close together as possible.  I’d suggest trying for sticking to being in no less than four in a group, so that’s basically in half or altogether.  What with this being Jackson’s first night of Pack, it might be good for us all to crash at mine?  There’s room, if we get a bit creative.” Smirks and chuckles were shared around the group and Jackson sensed a story there.  “Isaac and Allison can have the guest room, guys,” he nodded at the twins, “sofas I’m afraid,” they shrugged and nodded, “Stiles and Lydia… errrrr… there’s the blow up bed, we could put it in the dining room?”

 

“Great, another night under the table, only without the fun part of getting there!” Stiles grumbled.  “And where will the newb’ be?”  He asked, nodding at Jackson.

 

“Errrr… in with me?” Scott said, though it became a question as he looked to the other boy.  Jackson just nodded, trying not to blush as a series of looks flew around the Pack, no doubt imagining acts far beyond where they’d got to in their relationship.

 

“Well… looks like we finally figured out who’s the bitch now, eh Jackson?” Stiles voice had a hard, cruel edge and Jackson had to resist the urge to punch the smirking little twat, deciding it wouldn’t be the best start to a new Pack with a fight. It was Lydia who spoke though.

 

“Too far. Way too far.”   She said and laid a gentle hand on his arm.  Stiles winced and pulled a thick Sharpie out of his pocket, putting a diagonal line through the four already on his arm.  “Guys.”  Lydia said, holding up his arm, showing everyone the marks.  Jackson looked around confused, but everyone else was just nodding, though Stiles was scuffing his feet along the ground, eyes downcast, looking embarrassed.

 

“I’ll go first.” Said Ethan.  Jackson had suddenly been able to tell the twins apart, their scents bizarrely disparate.  “You’ve got a folder for Danny with all his assignments and homework, in file dividers with all the research done already and highlighted for him.”  Stiles pulled a red marker from his other pocket and marked a line on his other arm.

 

“You’ve got a bag full of energy bars, candy and water, just in case, and all our favourites are in there.”  Aiden added and Stiles added another mark.

 

“I love you, you’re my brother.” Scott said simply with no embarrassment. Another mark.

 

“You make me laugh and never make me feel stupid when I don’t follow you and Lydia’s conversations.” Allison tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded Stiles a quick smile. Another mark.

 

“You protect Scott.” Isaac said, simply. Another mark.

 

“You are incredibly curious and silly and daring and kind and forgetful.” Lydia said and kissed him lightly pulling back to let her boyfriend add another mark.  Stiles nodded and mouthed ‘thanks’ to everyone and studied his arms, clearly looking at the red and black marks.  Scott opened his mouth to no doubt suggest they all head back to his but Jackson coughed pointedly.

 

“Errr… When the door banged?”  The Pack all turned to him. “Well, when there was that bang, you jumped in front of Lydia.  In front of her.  If she’s going to go be with someone, I’m glad it’s someone who’s going to look out for her, protect her.”  He finished lamely.  Everyone blinked and looked at Stiles.

 

“Did I?” He asked Lydia, who rolled her eyes.

 

“Yes, though A. It was to protect me from Alli and Isaac. B. I don’t need protection and C. Well… yeah, you did.”  Stiles looked a little pleased with himself.

 

“I didn’t realise.”  He huffed and Scott pulled his friend into a side hug, shaking him a little.

 

“See! Told you you’re a hero!”

 

“Yeah! That’s me, heroically protecting Lydia from her best friend!”  Stiles laughed but added a large red mark, larger than the rest and nodding at Jackson who just shrugged.

 

“Come on, guys.  Let’s head back to mine.” Scott said and took Jackson by the hand, leading their Pack out into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep adding more chapters - it's mainly because I keep thinking that the chunks I'm writing will be quick and mash together into a big chapter, but each little bit just grows. And grows.
> 
> Anyway. 
> 
> Definitely - DEFINITELY! - only 2 more chapters...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> G*


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being accepted by Scott's pack was only the start of Jackson's evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK... so... NSFW.
> 
> Just sayin'.

Before he knew it they were back at the McCall house.  Scott turned before heading to the front door, looking back to Isaac, Allison and the twins. “Can you guys do a quick sweep of the area, make sure the Alphatwat isn’t kicking around anywhere?”  Though he phrased it as a question he didn’t wait for nods, and his Pack didn’t give them, he just headed into his home, secure that his will would be done.

 

As half the Pack went off to patrol, Jackson followed Scott, Stiles and Lydia into the house.  “Is this us for the night, then?”  Stiles asked and when Scott nodded, pulled out his phone, connecting a call. “Hey Dad, it’s me, yeah, yeah we’re gonna crash at Scott’s tonight, is that OK? Yeah, OK, yeah, no problems.  Erm… I’ll probably be calling in a little bit.  Kay, see you later Dad.”

 

“Is he OK?” Scott asked, leading them through to the kitchen.

 

“Yeah. Says hi.”  Stiles mumbled.  “Lyds, you OK to help?”  He flicked a look to Jackson and frowned, worriedly.  Lydia simply nodded and followed her boyfriend to the table.  Stiles went into his backpack and pulled out a slim file, took out a single page and sighed.  Jackson tried to ignore them and focused on helping his boyfriend put pizzas in the oven and collect other assorted unhealthy foods for the Pack to gorge on.  _Boyfriend. Scott McCall is my boyfriend, almost._ Jackson shook his head ruefully, had someone told him this is what he was coming home to he truly would never had believed them.

 

Eventually, as random words and phrases carried over to him, Jackson’s curiosity got the better of him.  “What are they doing?”  He whispered, glancing over as Lydia was pointing to what seemed to be their reference sheet as Stiles marked it in red and black pens.

 

“Hmmmm, what? Oh, erm… hang on, I know this… it’s his fearless and frank moral inventory.”  Scott said, and nodded decisively.

 

“Right. Yeah, that’s not hugely helpful.”  Jackson grumbled.

 

“It’s how he and Lydia cope with his, you know.  They did research into a ton of different methods and basically decided to twelve step him.”

 

“What like AA?”  Jackson asked, confused.

 

“Well, yeah.  I mean, both Stiles and his Dad were drinking a lot, and have now stopped, I don’t think they go to meetings, but alcohol is a depressive and wasn’t actually helping, so they stopped. It’s the program that they’re following though which is keeping him focused and positive. Normally.”  Scott hadn’t really lowered his voice and Jackson realised the couple was listening in. “First he admitted he needed help and asked Lydia and the Pack to help him, which we did as much we could.  Then Lydia looked into the twelve step program and he did a fearless and frank moral inventory and made amends to all those he’d harmed, which by that point had been pretty much everyone.”  Jackson frowned and sent a look at Stiles who huffed.

 

“Yeah jackass.  Unless doing so would cause more pain or wasn’t possible.  You’d cut yourself off from us all and while you were on the list, I had no way of getting in contact – even Danny claimed not to be able to contact you.”

 

Jackson nodded. “Fair point.”  He thought about it for a while then shrugged.  “So how does it work?”  He asked genuinely curious.  As he did he heard the front door open as the Pack let themselves in, filing into the kitchen, helping themselves to sodas and food after nodding to Scott. 

 

Stiles took in the rest of the Pack, glared at him for a second then sighed before continuing.  “I keep track of all my interactions, especially any that earn a mark and at the end of the day, try and make amends if I can, or hadn’t done it already.  Then I match them up against my character defects and personality strengths and talk over what I should have done then make my gratitude list.”  Stiles scrubbed his hand through his hair.  “So, yeah, what I said, back at the loft.  I’m sorry, it was uncalled for.  Sorry.  I was being,” his eyes flicked to the paper in front of him, “resentful and mean spirited and jealous.”

 

“Stiles,” Jackson just shook his head in disbelief. “It’s fine, I’ve called you a lot worse and a lot more often.  Hang on, what do you mean jealous? Don’t tell me you dated Scott too?!” He asked, turning back to his boyfriend who just chuckled.

 

“Woah! Hold on, no.  I just mean… “ Stiles huffed and rolled his eyes.  “No.  That’s just, no.” Stiles shuddered. “What I mean is… when Scott gets together with someone he tends to dive head long into it, when he first dated Allison I felt like I’d been dropped, then when he and Ise got together it was even worse.  They were always together and I felt like I’d lost my best friend.”

 

“Dude.”  Scott said, pained.  Jackson looked to the Alpha who seemed genuinely distraught.

 

“It’s OK.” He said to his friend. “We were all pretty fucked up after our darkness dip, but yeah.  When you guys turned up being all Jackson-y, I just felt like I might lose you again.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

 

Scott walked to his best friend and gave him an awkward hug.  Jackson looked at Isaac how was frowning, deep in thought, no doubt thinking back to his time with Scott and how he treated Stiles.

 

“Look.” Jackson started and everyone turned their attention to him. “I get it.  He’s your best friend.  I’m not gonna get in the way of that, if you need some Scott-time just say, I’ll never not want him to hang out with you and it’s not like I can’t go and hang out with Danny, or my parents, or someone from the Pack, right?”  He said the last to Ethan, who gave a small frown but nodded.  “Best friends are important, you’re important to each other, I get it.  Fuck dude, best friends are pretty much the only thing I _do_ get.”  He tried for a reassuring smile, but wasn’t sure it took.

 

“OK.” Stiles said, clearly surprised.

 

“What the fuck happened to you in London?”  Lydia asked incredulous.

 

Jackson glared at her but then remembered they were Pack, but before that, they’d meant something to each other.  If he really was staying and making a place for himself, he resolved to do it honestly.  “I was alone.  Actually, I was lonely.  There’s not much you can really do at times like that but walk and think.  And I kept thinking back to how much I fucked everything up back here.  I basically wanted to control everyone and everything, but had no fucking clue what I was doing.  So… you know what.  I’m sorry.” He said the last straight to Lydia and waited, open and hurting until she nodded, reaching over to grip her new boyfriend’s hand for support.

 

“OK.  We need to do some research, like _immediately_!” Stiles declared.

 

“What? Why?” Scott asked, worried.

 

“Something’s happened to Jackson.  He’s _not_ a massive dick.  I’m thinking alien abduction, children of the corn style, right?”  He grinned and laughed as Scott clipped him round the back of the head.  Jackson ducked his head and looked away.  If he was honest though he felt better, lighter.  He knew he and Lydia wouldn’t get to be friends straight away, but at least it seemed a possibility.  Now that the sex would be gone, he was actually looking forward to hanging out with her again.  With a small smile he wondered when he could get her to go shopping again – she had excellent taste and he wanted to gloat about all the Mayfair shops he’d frequented.

 

When the pizzas were done they all set about devouring them like it was their last meal.  It was mainly eaten standing and moving around, bumping shoulders and surreptitiously rubbing hands along necks and over heads. At one point Scott snuck up on Jackson and gave him a hug from behind, dropping his lips into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck, inhaling deeply.  “Hey, I have, like, an actual serious Alpha question, if that’s OK?”

 

Jackson nodded, and turned in the other boy’s arms, “Sure, what?”

 

“How are you at full moons? I know it’s a while away, but… well, how you been coping, you know, alone?” Scott asked, trying not to sound concerned.

 

Jackson smiled.  “I’m good.  The first one was awful.” He shot an apologetic glance at Isaac who simply looked back at him, stoney faced and impassive.  “But yeah, then I sorted my anchor and it’s been fine.” He nodded again.

 

“What did you use?” Stiles asked, natural curiosity getting the better of him.

  
“Danny.  He’s like the best person ever and always there for me, even when I was being a dick.”

 

“How’d that work in London? I know you weren’t skyping on full moon nights coz he’s my anchor too.”  Ethan said, frowning.

 

Jackson looked embarrassed for a moment before continuing.  “Well…” He swallowed then shrugged, this was his Pack after all. “He’d send me a hoodie or jumper or shirt or something he’d worn a lot, vac-packed so the scent would linger and full moon nights I’d curl up with it and it would ground me, you know?” He asked, looking around hopefully, dreading seeing any judgment.

 

“Dude.” Stiles said with a smile.  “That’s possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”  Jackson gave him a incredulous sneer and looked away – it wasn’t cute; it was necessary.  Looking back, it was also when his loneliness hit him most.  He missed his best friend so much when he’d left, they’d barely spent a day apart since they’d become friends in middle school.  It was worse after he found out about Ethan.  Jackson had never wanted Danny in that way, but curled up on a sofa, in the dark, some mindless movie on in the background, holding back tears as he imagined his friend spending a full moon with a werewolf who wasn’t him had hurt.  Physically hurt.  He sighed as Scott gripped his arm.

 

“He’ll be OK, you know that right?”  His boyfriend asked and Jackson nodded.

 

“Did it always work?”  Stiles asked again, still digging.

 

“Pretty much.” Jackson smiled and decided that if he was being honest he might as well share some of the funny side as well as all the pain.  “Well… one month he sent a hoodie which he’d only worn a couple of times, so there wasn’t a huge amount of _him_ on it and I think he’d worn it out with you,” he nodded at Ethan, “so there was another wolf smell on it.”  Aiden whistled through his teeth and grinned, imagining how he’d have reacted to that.  “Yeah, I know right?” Jackson shared a smile with the other guy, “Anyway, I had to, like, pour Armani on it to try and drown you out.”  He looked back to Ethan who smiled and shook his head. “ Yeah, so I had to tell Danny to try and send something a bit muskier.” Jackson grinned remembering what had been sent a few weeks later.  “Next month I got his lacrosse jersey, which hummed, and a jockstrap with a little note on it which just said ‘pervert’!”

 

Most of the Pack laughed, though Lydia wrinkled her nose disdainfully.  “Please God say you didn’t snuggle his jock!” Scott asked, ruffling his hair and cupping a hand around his boyfriend’s neck.

 

“Ewww! No! The jersey did me fine.” He laughed into Scott’s neck and pulled in his Alpha, and boyfriend’s, scent letting the heady musk fill him.  As they were already laughing, the Pack started filling Jackson in on some of the funnies he’d missed while being away, mostly at the expense of another member of the Pack.  Even when being made fun of though, everyone had a smile on their face, even Isaac sometimes, who seemed to have adopted Derek’s sourwolf role.

 

After the food was gone and kitchen tidied, they moved through to the living room to argue about what to put on to watch. The Pack’s fractious bickering didn’t seem to bother anyone else though, so Jackson kept his eye rolling and opinions to a minimum, really only putting his foot down when Lydia mentioned ‘The Notebook.’  Fortunately everyone else shouted her down too and this seemed to be a running joke between them all.

 

As they were all going back and forth over genres, actors and directors, the Pack all started stripping cushions and pillows off chairs and sofas, moving the furniture back before finally creating a massive mattress, much like in the loft.  “Won’t your Mom mind all this?” Jackson asked, waving his hand at the mess they were making, ignoring the Stiles’ shrill cry as Ethan claimed that all the early Batman films were shit.

 

“Nah, she’s used to it now, and we put it all back in the morning.”

 

“She’s used to you snuggling up with seven other teenagers in a massive pile of cushions?” He blurted, incredulous.

 

“Yeah, course?” Scott looked at him confused, then nodded. “Oh, you know she knows about the wolf thing right? About me being the Alpha to the Pack?” Jackson’s eyes bulged in disbelief.  “She’s fine with it.  Well, she’s fine with it _now_ , but yeah, she gets it.  Kinda.” He smiled and rubbed Jackson’s arm, hand coming to a stop at the top of his shoulder.

 

“Wow.” He finally commented.  “That’s got to be the most accepting Mom ever…”

 

“Yeah.  She was pretty pissed after getting kidnapped, but it meant the Sheriff found out about the Pack, so it all kind of worked out – she had a friend to talk to you know?”

 

“What? Like PFLAG for werewolves… PFOW?”  Jackson grinned as Scott laughed and shook him by the shoulder a little.  Scott had mentioned the kidnapping when he’d filled him in about the Darach, but he was still surprised Mrs McCall was fine with all the wolf stuff.

 

“Yeah, exactly. She’s actually in PFLAG too you know, she’d probably talk to your parents if you wanted to?” He asked, looking right into Jackson’s eyes, who shrugged, slightly uncomfortable.

 

“I don’t know… they seemed pretty OK with it right? And… do we really want to do the whole ‘parents meeting’ thing?  I mean, we’re not even boyfriends really, right?”  Scott steered him away from the group and into the kitchen, though considering all the advanced levels of hearing, the privacy was superficial at best.

 

“Do you want to be boyfriends?” Scott asked, serious.

 

“Do you?” Jackson replied.

 

“I asked you first.”

 

“I asked you second.” Jackson said with a smile.  They stood looking at each other for a while, silently trying to hold down smiles.

 

“Urgh, fine,” Jackson grinned as Scott broke first.  “I want to be your boyfriend. Happy?”

 

“Uh-huh.” Jackson said and stepped into Scott’s space, kissing him gently at first then responding to the pressure the other boy returned.  His arms worked his way up Scott’s back, one hand holding him in place, the other snaking up into Scott’s hair, gripping into it, pulling slightly.  At the Alpha’s gasp, Jackson pulled back to make sure what he was doing was OK, only to see Scott’s gaze full of lust and desire.  They started flickering crimson and a small part of Jackson submitted instantly under the power of that look.

 

Scott pushed him back until he was leaning against the counter top, kissing him deeply, tongue exploring and hands roaming over this shoulders and back.  Suddenly, Scott dipped and scooped Jackson up by his ass and dropped him back onto the kitchen surface before continuing their kiss.  The new angle meant Scott had to kiss up but was better able to press himself against the other boy’s chest.  Their closeness stirred Jackson and he let out a low moan, not caring how desperate it sounded.  His new boyfriend just chuckled lustfully and moved his tongue to Jackson’s neck, licking lightning fast strokes up the exposed skin.

 

“Oh shit- sorry.” Isaac voice came from the door and Jackson snapped an annoyed look at the teenager hovering in the doorway, unsure which way to go.  Scott stepped back out of Jackson’s arms and rubbed a hand at the back of his head embarrassed.

 

“Don’t worry about it Ise. We were just… errrr… yeah… anyway, have we picked a movie yet?”  Scott tried his best to sound confident and in control, but was definitely red faced as he turned to face his ex-boyfriend, gesturing him into the kitchen and out of his nervous dithering.

 

“Yeah, Haywire and The Tower.  We decided action over romance and Lydia’s in a huff.  Allison’s happy though, you know how much she loves Gina Carano.” Isaac’s voice sounded a little rough and he was resolutely not looking at either of the other two boys.  Jackson frowned as he became aware that the taller teen was trying hard not to breathe through his nose, no doubt not wanting to inhale either of his or Scott’s desire.

 

“Oh, OK, cool. Well we better just…”  Scott nodded to the door.

 

Without thinking too much about it, Jackson spoke up from his perch on the counter top. “Can you give us a minute, I need to talk to Isaac about something.”  He said to his boyfriend who blinked and frowned a little before nodding, looking to his ex who nodded slowly too.  When Scott left the two teenagers were left in an awkward and uncomfortable silence.  Isaac had his arms folded across his chest and was his gaze was focused on a point on the floor.  “What Stiles was doing…”  Jackson began and stopped.  There were too many thoughts running through his head, too much he wanted to say.  “Look, there’s a lot I want to say to you and a lot of it might come out wrong…”

 

Isaac snorted a laugh.  “Yeah, I remember you Jackson.”  The other boy glared at the taller teen who was still looking anywhere but at him.  There were plenty of things he could be referring to so Jackson just ignored the comment, though he did allow himself a moment of annoyance. _Why is it whenever I try to do the right thing, the other person is a jackass!?_

 

“Yeah, OK.  Look, first time we were in a Pack together it didn’t really work out very well, and I think, looking back, that was probably more me than you.” Isaac looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. “Fine, it was me.  I hadn’t really thought about the Pack aspect of being a werewolf and was scared of everyone finding out about… you know…”  He trailed of embarrassed, still.

 

“What, about you being gay?” Isaac said in a voice a couple of decibels louder than necessary, smirking as Jackson flicked a nervous glance at the door.  Taking a breath to steady himself, Jackson continued, ignoring how Isaac was trying to rile him.

 

“Yeah. But with you it was something different, it wasn’t just about you finding out I liked guys, it was about you living across the road from me.  With your Dad. And what I didn’t do.”  Jackson’s voice had gone very small and Isaac had frozen, seemingly stunned.  “I don’t know where you are with everything that happened, and I’m not going to ask, I know we’re not friends… but… I’m sorry.” Jackson swallowed and risked looking up at the other teenager.  Isaac’s face was beetroot red and his eyes were blazing, but he stayed silent.  “I knew what your Dad was doing but didn’t know what to do about it.  I barely spoke to my parents then, dealing with my own shit, which isn’t an excuse, but I’m just saying, I was pretty lost and just… didn’t know what to do.  So I’m sorry.  If I could go back and change it I would… I’d talk to my Dad, or the school, or you even… but you were always so, not there… I barely even remember you before we all got caught up with Derek and the werewolf stuff. Anyway, I just wanted to say, as much as I was a dick to the others, you are the only one who I think I really properly fucked up with and I’m sorry.”  Jackson held out his arms and gave a small shrug, indicating he was done.  He didn’t think he’d ever apologised so much for anything in his life, ever… but then, wasn’t that right?

 

Isaac was silent for a long time, but Jackson felt that he was figuring out what to say, as opposed to not having anything to say.  Eventually, Isaac spoke, low and quiet.  “Do you know where we lived before we moved across from you?”  Jackson shook his head.  “A trailer park.  Mom and Dad saved everything for _years_ to get up the deposit for a house in the ‘nice’ part of town.” Isaac huffed a laugh and sneered. “The _nice_ part. Yeah right.  As soon as we moved in, everyone, your family included made us feel like scum.  Fair enough, it was the smallest house on the street, but so what? Mom was told, to her face, families like ours would bring down the house prices and we weren’t welcome.  You know, when she got sick, two years after we moved in, not one person from the street came to see us, talk to her or offer any help.  Our old neighbours did.  Families that had nothing came offered whatever they could – but you lot?”  Isaac just shook his head.  “Dad blamed the move.   For Mom getting sick? Said the stress of it all, of being unwelcome and whispered about by entitled rich little bastards…”  Isaac shook his head.  “I don’t know.  Whatever, it’s all done now.” 

 

Jackson had no idea what to say.  While he’d recognised, eventually, that he probably should have done more for Isaac, he’d never considered the fact that the Lahey family had never been at the garden parties, cocktail evenings, bridge nights or dinner parties. It wasn’t something he thought anyone thought about, it was just that they weren’t friends with anyone in the area.  He was suddenly uncomfortable.  He could accept his own part in being thoughtless and self-centred maybe, but a large part of him really wanted to defend his family.  As he opened his mouth though, he thought again and decided he should maybe talk to his parents first.  If what Isaac said was true…

 

“It doesn’t matter.  I was just saying, if you had tried to talk to me before all this werewolf stuff I’d have probably punched you in the face.  But, yeah, thanks or whatever.  For saying what you said.  We’re Pack now, so why don’t we just draw a line under it and move on, yeah?” Isaac looked up and held his hand out for the other boy to shake.  Jackson hopped down to the floor and walked forward gratefully extending his hand to the taller teen.

 

As he shook though, Isaac’s grip went from firm to painful and he pulled Jackson in closer.  “But let me get one thing clear.  In the Pack, I’m Scott’s second, not you, or Stiles or anyone else.  You can be his boyfriend and do all the cuddling and dating shit, but in Pack situations, in fights and danger, I’m the one who protects him. I’m the one who watches out for him.  I’m the one who’s his.  Got it?” He snarled through gritted teeth and squeezed harder, popping a couple of Jackson’s knuckles.  The shorter boy could do nothing but nod furiously as his knees shook at the pain. Isaac let go as soon as he did.  “Good.  I think you could be good for the Pack Jackson, and it looks like you make Scott happy, but remember what I said, I don’t want to have this conversation again.”

 

Jackson watched, a little stunned and uncomfortable as Isaac walked out.  He shook his damaged hand, feeling it healing already and frowned. Clearly a lot of people had changed while he’d been away.  For now though, Jackson was happy for Isaac to be someone he was sure would protect Scott if he was in danger, but hoped the other werewolf realised he wouldn’t be the only one watching out for their Alpha.

 

When he finally followed Isaac back to their Pack he saw that everyone had already piled up on the cushions.  Scott looked up and patted a place next to him.  Scott raised an eyebrow. With all the best will in the world, he’d have to have been five years old to fit in the time gap the Alpha had indicated.  As Jackson walked over though he took in the fact that no-one wasn’t also sprawled over at least one other person.  Lowering himself down, Scott pulled Jackson into a hug, settling him against his chest and Aiden rolled away giving them room, before rolling back, twining their legs together completely unselfconsciously.   Jackson forced himself to relax and accept the closeness of everyone around him.

 

Scott he was fine with, his arms were rapidly becoming Jackson’s favourite thing, but, surprisingly, Aiden’s legs and general warmth against his back was soothing and nice.  Ethan’s hand, which was around his brother had started to rub small circles into his back which helped him to further relax.  Allison and Isaac were curled up together on Scott’s other side, both touching their Alpha somewhere, while Stiles and Lydia had snuggled into the gap between Scott, Allison and Isaac’s legs, closer to the TV.  They were one giant pile of teenage limbs, completely as one.

 

*                  *                  *

 

“That was _awesome!_ ” Jackson said at the end of the movie and Allison lifted her head off Isaac shoulder and grinned at him.

 

“I know, right! Carano kicks ass!”  She reached over and high fived him. 

  
“Pee break.” Stiles said, stretching and the Pack disentangled themselves to stretch and split up a little.  Jackson snuggled into Scott for a few seconds after everyone else had moved.  He smelled slightly different.  Both of them did.  They smelled of Pack and it was comforting.  Jackson got up and did a quick sweep of everyone; they all smelled the same.  Sure, there was Lydia’s Izzy Miyaki perfume under her scent, and a hit of Danny mixed with Ethan’s but essentially they all smelled like Pack.  He grinned, happy.

 

“Hey boyfriend.”  Scott said, hugging into Jackson from behind.

 

“You like hugging me like that, don’t you?” He said as he linked hands with his Alpha, leaning back into him.

 

“Uh-huh.”  Scott smiled and pressed a kiss into the back of Jackson’s neck, making him shiver slightly.  Jackson turned and kissed his boyfriend, enjoying the taste of Scott on his lips.  Being acutely aware of all the other people, some of them exes, Jackson kept their kiss short and as he rested his head on Scott’s shoulder yawned wide, the events of the day catching up to him.

 

“Tired?” Scott asked running a hand up and down Jackson’s back.

 

“Uh-huh.  Busy day.”  He said, yawning again.

 

“OK. Hey guys.”  Scott waited until everyone had look his way.  “Jackson’s beat so we’re going to head to bed, you all fine getting beds and towels and things?”  Stiles and Isaac both nodded and said they remembered where everything was and would set it all up.  Scott did a quick tour of the Pack, hugging and rubbing hands over each.  Jackson just stood and watched, unsure if it was an Alpha thing.

 

As they started heading up the stairs, the rest of the Pack reformed their puppy pile and started the next movie, deliberately turning the volume up louder.  Jackson blushed at what he could guess their reasoning was but quickly put the others out of his mind as he realised what was happening.  He was following his boyfriend to his bedroom.  Where Jackson was going to spend the night.  With him.  Together. 

 

While decidedly not a virgin, when it came to guy on guy sex he might as well have been. Scott led him to the bedroom.  “Hey, you don’t have to stay over if you don’t want? I can drive you home… the Pack bonding part of the evening is done and it’s not like Deucalion even knows who you are so…. I mean, I don’t want to pressure… Aw hell, say something Jacks!”  Scott was bright red, looking like the nervous teen Jackson remembered of old, which calmed him down considerably.

 

“No, I want to stay, really. I should probably phone home though, let them know I’m not home tonight?”  He sat on the edge of Scott’s bed and looked up at his boyfriend who nodded.

 

“Cool, I need to grab a shower.  With this many people in the house there’s never enough hot water in the morning so a few of us always wash before bed.”

 

“Oh OK, well, I should too then right?” Jackson asked and Scott shrugged.

 

“Sure, if you want, I’ll use Mom’s, you know where the bathroom is right?”  Scott asked, grabbing the other boy a towel from the dresser.  Jackson nodded and waited until his boyfriend left before calling home.  His parents were having a celebratory dinner with Danny’s parents.  His Dad sounded happy and relaxed and he could hear the other adults laughing in the background.  There was a small pause when Jackson informed his Dad he was staying at Scott’s for the night, but he eventually just told Jackson to ‘take care of himself’ and be polite to Scott’s Mom. 

 

After he turned his phone off and left it on the dresser, Jackson got undressed and padded over to the shower.  He could hear another shower running already and was pleased that the Pack downstairs would hear two distinct showers and know nothing untoward was happening.  Listening to how loud the film was downstairs though, he wondered whether the other teenagers would be able to hear anything, possibly ever again.  He smiled at how he and Scott were being given as much privacy as possible. 

 

Jackson managed to worry his way through his shower, uncertain what Scott would want to do and unsure of what he himself wanted.  Despite that, he was still able to have a quick grump at the cheap shower gel McCall used and resolved to make that shopping trip happen sooner rather than later, if only to stock the bathroom with quality products.  He got out of the shower, dried off and slipped his briefs back on before wrapping the towel around his waist and heading back to his boyfriend.

 

Scott was sitting cross legged on his bed in plaid pyjama bottoms and a black t-shirt, hair still slightly damp and glossy.  “Hey Jacks.”  He said, smiling.

 

“You know…” Jackson said, crossing his arms across his chest.  “No one calls me Jacks, not even Danny.”

 

Scott frowned before answering, “Oh, right, sorry, I can stop if you want?”

 

Jackson shook his head and smiled, “Nah, it turns out I don’t mind as much when you do it…”  His boyfriend’s frown turned into a smile and he reached out a hand for Jackson to join him.  Smiling in return, he moved to Scott on the bed.

 

As he sat, looking at how their fingers laced together and feeling another blast of pure happiness.  “You know Jacks, we don’t have to do anything tonight.”  Jackson looked at Scott, blinking.  “I mean, it’s been a long day and everyone’s downstairs and if you just want to sleep, I’m totally cool with that.”  Scott squeezed his hand in reassurance.

 

“What if I don’t want to go to sleep yet?”  He asked quietly, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.

 

“What would you want to do instead?”  Scott asked, a cheeky lilt to his voice.

 

“Stuff?”

 

“Stuff?” He repeated in the same tone.

 

“Yeah, you know, like guy stuff.”

 

“You want to put up shelves?”  Scott asked and Jackson punched him on the arm and there was a slight pause before Scott continued. “Well… we can do guy stuff… Have you ever? With a guy, I mean?”  Jackson just shook his head, not meeting his boyfriend’s eyes.  “Well, have you ever… experimented…? Back there?”  Jackson shook his head again, willing the blush that was surely spreading across his face to vanish.  “OK, well that sorts who goes where if nothing else.” Scott said with a smile in his voice.

 

“What do you mean?”  Jackson asked, half turning his face, still not looking up.

 

“Well, if we wanted to have sex and you’ve not ever done anything back there it’s not gonna happen tonight, you kinda have to build up to it, you know?”   Jackson nodded, relaxing a little, knowing that was off the table.  “And we don’t ever have to do that, if you don’t want to?” Scott asked, kindly.

 

“No, no.  I do, seriously, I think I _really_ want to, but… yeah, not with my ex-girlfriend downstairs yeah?”  Jackson bumped shoulders with his boyfriend.

 

“Yeah, sure, gotcha.  Well, if you want you can always… you know… top me.”  Scott said, bumping shoulders back.

 

“Really?!”  Jackson asked, genuinely surprised.  “I thought… what with you being an Alpha and me being your Beta, I mean…”  Jackson wasn’t sure what he meant he just thought that Alpha meant dominance and didn’t expect Scott to be into… that.

 

“I think my Alphaness will be able to cope with me having sex with my boyfriend you know.”  Scott smiled and leaned into Jackson, kissing him.  That simple action unknotted all the nerves either had been feeling and Scott pushed his boyfriend back onto the bed, climbing on top of him.  Without breaking the kiss, Jackson felt the other boy pluck at the towel wrapped around his waist then chuckle.  “You put your shorts back on?” He asked, eyes dancing.

 

“Says the boy almost fully clothed.”  Jackson shot back, pinching at the material covering his boyfriend.

 

“Oh yeah, you want me to get naked?” Jackson nodded. “Tell me.”

 

“I want you to get naked.”  Jackson said quietly, kissing Scott deeply.  They made out for a while longer before Scott rolled off him and stripped, freeing Jackson to do the same.  “Fuck Scott.” He breathed when the other boy rolled back on top of him.

 

“What? Tell me.”  Scott demanded, planting a row of kisses along Jackson’s neck, tongue flickering and sending an intense wave of pleasure through him.

 

“You’re fucking beautiful.” He breathed.

 

“This coming from you? You’re literally breathtaking. You’re face,” Scott kissed him, “your eyes,” he kissed his eyelids, “your ridiculous cheekbones,” kissed again, “but your _body_?!” Scott grinned and shimmied down the bed, kissing down as he did, settling across his chest, lips and tongue working at his nipples.  “Talk to me.”  Scott said as he crossed from one nipple to the other.

 

Jackson had been biting his lips to try and contain his moans as much as possible.  Lydia had never like a lot of noise, but apparently his new boyfriend was a talker in bed. “Oh my God Scott, your mouth feels incredible.  Your tongue is awesome.  You’re so hot.” He ran out of things to say and went back to moaning.

 

“You like my mouth? Where do you want it?”  Scott asked, hand reaching down to stroke at Jackson’s erection. They both knew exactly where he wanted it, but apparently the Alpha wanted it said.

 

“My cock, I want you on my cock.” Jackson surprised himself by not blushing, merely looked down and watched Scott kiss down his abs before hovering over his cock.  “Fuck Scott. You look so good.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve dreamed about you being there, between my legs, my cock disappearing into your mouth, your lips-“ Jackson broke off with a gasp as Scott’s lips wrapped around the head of his dick, and every dream he’d ever had fell away.  The reality of seeing that mouth clamped around his cock undid him, mind emptying of anything other than lust.  “Fuck.” Scott’s tongue that had already driven him crazy before, started licking around and over his head.  “Your tongue, fuck Scott, you’re incredible.”

 

With a filthy sounding pop, Scott let up and licked a couple of swipes from root to tip, maintaining eye contact as he did.  “I fucking love your cock, Jacks, it’s perfect.  You taste amazing, I want you to fuck into my mouth, grab my hair and use me.”  Jackson’s jaw went slack, this was a side of Scott he’d never imagined or expected, but was more than happy to oblige.  Scott moved round so he was kneeling between the other boy’s leg.  “Try and talk to me though yeah?”

 

Jackson just nodded and pushed himself up on one elbow freeing a hand to bury in his boyfriend’s hair.  As Scott’s lips kissed and pressed down over the head of his cock, Jackson gripped harder stopping the movement.  Scott groaned with pleasure and grabbed his boyfriend’s thigh, steadying himself.  “You like that, Alpha? You want my cock?”  Scott managed a tight nod and Jackson thrust up off the bed a little, sliding his dick up into the other boy’s mouth.  “You look so hot, fuck Scott.” Jackson built up a steady rhythm, pushing his cock deeper and deeper.  “That’s it, fucking take it all. Take every inch.”  Jackson flexed his fingers, twirling Scott’s hair and responding to his boyfriend’s moans.

 

After a couple of minutes, Jackson could feel an orgasm building and he let go of Scott’s hair, shifting out of the way a bit. “I need you to stop or I’m gonna cum.”  Scott grinned and wiped a hand across his chin.

 

“Can’t have that, but I totally want you to cum in my mouth one day soon.”  He said as he pulled himself back up the bed to lie next to Jackson, kissing him.

 

“Yeah? You want to feel my cock explode in your mouth?”  Scott’s eyes widened and he grinned.

 

“Absolutely, I want to suck every last drop of cum out of you and swallow it all, I want you to cum so hard you don’t know your own name.”

 

“I want that too.  I want to be on my knees, sucking you off, I want you fully clothed and me naked, so you can just whip your cock out and I’ll take you all.”  Jackson admitted in a whisper and slammed a kiss into his boyfriend before he could respond.  He hadn’t meant to say that, that’d been one of his most enduring fantasies and another wave of nerves had crashed through him as he spoke.  Their kiss was full of desperate and they quickly managed to align their dicks so they could grind them together.

 

Eventually, Scott pulled back, “We can definitely do that.  Definitely.  But right now, I need you to fuck me. I need it Jacks, I want to feel your hot, hard cock sliding inside me, want to take it all.”  He said and Jackson nodded.  Scott rolled away and reached into his bedside unit for a bottle of lube.  “You want me to do this?”  Jackson nodded again, unsure what he meant, and Scott flipped the lid, slicking up his hand and fingers. 

 

He leant forward into Jackson as his wet hand disappeared between his legs.  “You really are fucking hot you know that right?” he said, kissing the other boy.

  
“Thanks Jacks,” Scott breathed and moaned a little as Jackson guessed his fingers had begun stretching him.

 

“Especially when you’re getting ready to take my cock.  It’s gonna feel so good, I’m going to go real slow, inch by inch, you’re gonna have to beg for the last one, can you do that Alpha mine, can you beg for my cock?”

 

“God, Jackson, yes, I want it so bad, want to feel how hot you are, it feels so good, God.”

 

“You’ll love it, I’ll be thrusting in you, rolling my cock deep into you.”  Jackson kissed Scott again as his boyfriend fumbled for another pump of lube.  “How does it feel when it’s in you? So soon Scott, I’m gonna be in you.”

 

“It feels so good, hot and hard and fucking painful in the best way. Need you, need you now.”  Scott rolled up and straddled Jackson who was forced onto his back.  His boyfriend expertly used the lube to liberally slick up Jackson’s cock. “I want to see you while you fuck me.” He said, and shifted until he was aligned right and angled Jackson’s cock up next to his slick hole.  “OK, push in.” 

 

Jackson swallowed down any nerves and locked eyes with his Alpha who nodded and Jackson drove forward carefully.  Scott’s eyes flew open wide and his jaw dropped as the head of Jackson’s cock popped inside his boyfriend. “FUCK!” He called out, too loud and resolved to try and keep anything else quieter.  “Jesus Scott, you’re so fucking tight.  Fucking beautiful.”  His hands rubbed up and down Scott’s hips and abs, avoiding stroking his cock which already throbbing and leaking pre-cum.

 

“Mmmmmm, Jacks, that feels fucking amazing, I love your cock, it’s so hot.”

 

“Is this what you needed?” Jackson asked, pushing up a little more as Scott settled back, sliding a couple more inches in.  “You needed my big cock inside you?”

 

“Yes, yes, fuck yes Jacks, need you so bad.” Scott pushed back and took more of Jackson’s shaft making his eyes flutter up inside his head.  “Fuck you’re so hot, feels so good.”

 

Jackson’s hands grabbed Scott’s hips and stopped him before he could take it all.  “You want it all Alpha?” He asked.  “You want all of me inside you?”

 

“Yes, fuck Jackson please, give it too me.”  Scott dropped his head forward, both hands planted against his boyfriend’s chest.  “I want it so much.” He tried to push back, but Jackson didn’t let him, in retaliation he pulled out a little and Scott’s eyes flashed to his, glaring.

 

“Tell me.”  Jackson said.

 

“I’ve wanted you inside me for years.  Ever since that kiss, please Jacks, please!  God you’re killing me.  Please, God, I used to jerk off thinking of you in the showers.  We have to, have to, fuck in the shower.  But I _need_ you to fucking move, please Jacks, please fuck me, I want your hot cock in me, I want it all, please just fucking fucking move!”  Scott cried and Jackson relented.

 

“This what you want Scott?” Jackson pushed up, slow and steady, not letting up as Scott rose up on his knees.  “You want my hard cock inside you?  Want me to fuck you?”

 

“Yes, fucking yes.”  Scott gasped and relaxed allowing Jackson’s full length inside him.  As it did he collapsed forward, smashing a kiss into the other boys mouth.  “God Jacks you feel amazing, but you need to _move._ ”  Jackson smiled and rolled his hips, making Scott moan.  They quickly built up a good rhythm, and any thoughts of talking went out of his mind as Jackson’s orgasm steadily built up. 

 

“Fuck Scott, I’m not gonna last.”  He moved his hand off his boyfriend’s hip and onto his cock, revelling in it’s velvety smoothness. “Fuck your cock is amazing.”

 

“Yes! Fucking hell Jacks. I’m gonna cum if you keep doing that.” He gasped.  Hearing the broken, lustful tone in his boyfriend’s voice, Jackson lost it and pumped twice more, hard and emptied himself into Scott, letting out a wild long cry.  He was vaguely aware of Scott’s own orgasm hitting him and his boyfriend’s cum landing in long stripes up his stomach and chest.  Any semblance of control either had been attempting had gone out of the window and there was no doubt the Pack wouldn’t have heard them.

 

Scott dropped on top of Jackson who huffed out a breath and laughed as his boyfriend hugged him. “Erm, Scott, you’re squashing me?”

 

“Who’s Scott?” The other boy moaned.  Jackson laughed and rolled them, causing the other boy to growl ineffectually.  Still chuckling he pulled out the towel he’d used earlier from underneath him and wiped off as much of the spunk as he could see before covering Scott and carefully wiping at him too.

 

Scott giggled and bucked slightly, “Tickles,” he complained and took the towel from his boyfriend.  Jackson lay back and took a deep breath.  _That was amazing_.  He thought to himself and smiled.  As they returned to each other’s arms, Scott’s phone beeped and the he groaned as he read it.

 

“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked.

 

“It was from Stiles.  He says that that no movie made will ever be loud enough and we owe them all brain bleach and ear plugs.” 

 

“Shit did they hear it all?” Jackson asked, seriously panicked.  Scott shrugged and tapped at his phone, replying to Stiles.  After a short wait, spent happily hugging and leaving little kisses wherever lips could meet skin, the phone beeped again.

 

“Nope.” Scott said, popping the ‘p’.  “Just heard the ending apparently, not that they can complain, we’ve all heard stuff,” he huffed.

 

Jackson laughed and pulled Scott closer.  He was happy to realise he didn’t care one bit if his Pack had heard him make love to his Alpha.  Before the thought was done flying through his mind, Jackson was asleep, a happy, content smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, only one chapter to go and it's the wrap up, what to do about Deucalion chapter, this was the FEELS chapter with a fair amount of smut.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it...
> 
> G*


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott's Pack still have to deal with Deucalion.

He slept fitfully, though not unpleasantly.  Every time Scott shifted or turned in his sleep, Jackson snapped awake and had to take a moment to remember where he was.  Even when they had been together it was rare for he and Lydia to actually spend the night together, both needing too much of the bed.  Scott, on the other hand, just clung to wherever Jackson was like some sleep-limpet.  He knew he should find it annoying but somehow, Scott drooling a little while pressed against his chest just made the other boy smile.

 

Each time he woke up Scott was asleep save once.  Scott had sat bolt upright in bed and seemed to be trying to take silent yet deep breathes.  “Wassup?”  Jackson had asked sleepily, laying a hand in the centre of Scott’s back, finding it tense and hard.

 

“Nothing.  Go to sleep.”  Scott had murmured.

 

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Jackson had sat up and wound his arms around Scott from behind.  The other boy had stiffened in his arms and went to move away, but Jackson had just held on harder.  “No way McCall.  Something’s up and it’s the middle of the night and I’m not letting go til you talk to me.”  His boyfriend had stayed silent for a while longer before slumping and allowing a single sob to escape.

 

“I just had a nightmare is all.”  He finally had said, voice embarrassed and ashamed.

 

“You should tell me about it.”  Jackson had said, pulling Scott back down to lie back on the bed, head resting on other boy’s shoulder.

 

“I should huh?”  Scott had huffed, no doubt annoyed about not being offered a choice.

 

“Yeah, you should.” Jackson had snarked, “I know a little about nightmares Scott.”  He’d added in a gentler tone.  “I was a creepy little bastard’s personal murder lizard, and then died.  You honestly don’t think I spent countless nights waking up in a cold sweat, heart pounding and terrified?”  Scott had looked up into his boyfriend’s eyes.

 

“How’d you fix it?”  He’d asked.

 

“Time.  And talking about it.  Danny helped, Derek too.  They both spent a fair few nights sleeping at the end of my bed.” Jackson had shook his head, lost in the memories of feeling so helpless crying in his best friend’s and Alpha’s arms.  “Eventually, I don’t know… I just had to put it behind me and move on.  It helped that it wasn’t me.  It was Daehler and Argent, I was just being used.” Jackson had shifted uncomfortably in his boyfriend’s arms and Scott had given him a squeeze.

 

“No one blames you, you know that right?”  Scott had asked.

 

“I’m pretty sure Stilinski does.  He knew a lot of those guys, knew them well.”  He’d whispered thinking back to the bloodbath at the Police Station. 

 

“He doesn’t blame you.  We had a similar thing with some badass ninja fairies who hijacked him and the twins.  Took us a while to get them free and by then the three of them had done some pretty fucked up shit.  He said after that he knew how you must have felt…”  Scott had explained and Jackson had nodded, surprised.

 

“Well, either way.  It wasn’t me.  Just like whatever nightmare you had wasn’t you, and whatever this bastard darkness is, it’s probably causing it.  Just let yourself be McCall and tell me about it. I’m not going anywhere and I doubt you’ll be able to shock me with anything I’ve not dreamt about myself doing.”  Jackson had paused, wondering just how much he should share, then he’d shrugged and thought _fuck it._ “My most common nightmare was turning into that thing again and ripping Danny apart, like literally, then moving on to my parent’s and the Pack and… you.  Even then when I was trying to hate you and pretend this wasn’t a thing, it still woke me screaming when in my nightmares I killed you.”  There had been an uneasy silence before Scott spoke again.

  
“I’d hurt you.  We were in a bedroom somewhere doing… you know… stuff and I’d got you tied up and then the darkness took over and I was torturing you, I wanted to stop but I couldn’t.”  Scott did cry then, nasty, shaking little tears full of bitterness and remorse.  “I’m sorry Jacks, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Don’t McCall, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.  It was just a nightmare.  We’ll get through this, you can dream about all the horrible things you want, I’m not going anywhere.”  Jackson had pulled Scott up closer into him and kissed him, tasting salty tears as he did.  “But you need to promise me that any time you wake up and feel like your darkness is too much you _have_ to tell me.  If I’m here wake me up, if I’m not you have to phone me, I’ll always answer… and… if it’s OK, I’ll do the same?”  Jackson had asked.

 

Scott’s head had shot up, “Of course.  Any time you ever need me, just call or wake me up or whatever.”

 

“Coz that’s what boyfriend’s do right?” Jackson had asked.

 

“Yeah, course.” Scott had kissed him.

 

“So that means you’ll have to use me if you need me too, McCall – two way street, kay?”  He’d asked and Scott had reluctantly nodded.  Jackson knew his boyfriend would probably tried to cope on his own and not bother him with his problems, but if there was one thing Jackson had learnt it was alone was not the way to deal with things.  “Good, now go back to sleep.”  He’d snuggled down into the bed, rearranging Scott to his liking.

 

“Kay.  Night Jacks.  Thanks Jacks.”  Scott had fallen silent and Jackson had thought he’d fallen back to sleep until he added: “You’re a really nice guy, you know that right.”

 

“Shut up dickweed,” he’d replied, “spread shit like that and I’ll break your face.”  He’d said, remembering back to his birthday and how he’d threatened Scott after their kiss, which Scott had totally instigated.  His boyfriend had just chuckled quietly and kissed Jackson’s chest before dropping back off to sleep.

 

*                  *                  *

 

The next morning saw the Pack gathered around the table devouring an obscene amount of bacon and toast as Mrs McCall came in from her nightshift and glared at the happy, well-rested teenagers.  “I swear to God, you better have left me some food.” She’d grumbled as she poured herself a large glass of water.

 

“Erm, not really.” Scott had looked sheepish until Lydia piped up.

 

“There’s a delivery on it’s way, it’ll be here at around four pm if that’s OK? Everything we ate and some other bits and pieces.  I got you some good coffee too and some of the energy bars Jackson likes, which you’ll need now that he and Scott are officially boyfriends and will no doubt be here every minute of the day unless you physically remove him.”  Jackson had stared at his ex-girlfriend in exasperated shock.

 

“That’s nice dear, thank you.  We’ll I’m going to bed so you’re all leaving.  Have a nice day honey.” She gave Scott a quick hug and peck on the cheek then moved to Jackson and gave him the same. “My honey’s honey.” She said with a grin and Jackson frowned, completely at a loss at how to deal with Scott’s Mom.  “Rascal” She moved to Stiles and hugged him too, before snuggling into Isaac and whispering something to him that Jackson couldn’t catch, but the tall boy nodded and looked sheepish before kissing Mrs McCall on the top of her head.  Allison and Lydia got their hugs and then Scott’s Mom reached the twins giving them a hearty handshake before disappearing upstairs to bed.

 

“How come you guys only get handshakes?”  Jackson asked Ethan, who grimaced.

 

“She’s not really over us trying to kill her son in the hospital.  Which is fair I guess…”  He nodded, seemingly unperturbed. 

 

“Come on guys, let’s head out, I think the best thing to do is start at where Deucalion jumped Danny and Ethan and work our way around from there.  We’ve not really seen him since, so it may have been an attack of opportunity rather than the start of his plans, you know?” He’d looked at his Pack for support who all nodded and followed him outside.  Isaac came out last and locked the door.  Jackson frowned, Scott had mentioned that Isaac had lived at the McCall house for a while, but was surprised he still had a key.

 

Scott was leading the way and Jackson jogged a little to catch up with him.  Checking back over his shoulder, seeing Isaac at the back, eyes roaming around for danger, Jackson spoke in a tiny whisper, ensuring only Scott could hear, “Isaac still has a key to your house?”

 

Scott nodded, staying alert to everything around him and replied in a similar volume. “Sure, why not?”  Jackson just shrugged.  Isaac’s little speech the night before had stuck with him, the other werewolf just seemed too intense about being Scott’s second, too possessive.  Something about the whole situation didn’t quite fit, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

 

They got to the alley behind the cinema where Deucalion had attacked the two Pack members.  All the werewolves sniffed around for a while, but couldn’t catch a scent anywhere.  After a brief discussion, they decide to head back to the old mall where apparently the Beacon Hill’s wolves had fought the Alpha Pack.  Jackson had no idea where they were headed so hung back as Scott led the way.  Seeing Jackson not with their Alpha, Isaac hurried to pair up with Scott.  The rest of the Pack seemed to accept this as normal and took up positions and followed.

 

As soon as they entered the abandoned building Jackson’s wolf went on edge.  “Scott…” He called and realised too late that all the werewolves were already shifted.

 

“I know.”  The Alpha gave him a quick red-eyed glance and Jackson shook his wolf free.  The disquieting sensation of bones thickening and features distorting brought out a low growl in him.  Jackson hated the way his wolf looked, so feral and unattractive.  With the decrease in his physical attractiveness complete his senses skyrocketed.  He could smell the sharp, painful tang of the Alpha  who had attacked Danny. The growl that had started low and simple morphed into something angry and violent.

 

“Allison, suit up. Everyone spread out but stay close.  He’s here.”  Scott’s voice was full of powerful command and the Pack shifted positions until they were equidistant from each other, flanking Scott as he moved forward carefully.  Unsurprisingly Lydia was in the centre of the Pack, though she did have a small calibre handgun nestled expertly in her hands.  Jackson ended up to the in between the two twins, to the right of Scott, with Isaac and Allison on his left, Stiles had hung back, the baseball bat in his hands being twirled nervously.

 

“Well, well, well.”  A voice rang out from the upper gallery.  “Scott’s Pack, with a new beta I see.  Are we thinking one more teenage puppy will make a different young Mr McCall?”  Jackson took in the Alpha who’d hurt Danny; he was annoyingly good looking, broad-chested and handsome.  Everyone’s attention was on Deucalion who jumped down over the railing and landed on the ground in front of the Pack, concrete cracking and cobwebbing under his feet where he landed.

 

“You came after one of my Pack.”  Scott growled, threat clear in that simple statement.

 

“Well, yes, I suppose you could say that.”  Deucalion gave a small disinterested smile.  “But what’s an Alpha to do Mr McCall? Here I am, without a Pack and there are so many interesting people just waiting to become more powerful.”

 

“Danny doesn’t want to be a werewolf, he doesn’t care about power.”  Ethan growled from Jackson’s right and Deucalion lazily turned his head to give his former Pack mate a piteous look.

 

“Whatever you say Ethan.”  He turned his attention back to Scott.  “Well, you found me, what did you want to say?”

 

“You are going to leave Beacon Hills and never return.”

 

“Am I really?”  The Alpha sounded amused and Jackson took a small step forward, growl echoing out across the space.

 

“Yes you are.”  Scott held up one hand to stop Jackson without even looking around.  “You will leave tonight or I’ll make you leave.”  Scott’s features shifted deeper, beyond what any of the other wolves could do and his entire frame bulked out.  A small, sharp, stab of discomfort shot through Jackson and he felt a wave a lethargy strike as his Alpha pulled strength and energy from him.

 

Deucalion laughed throatily.  “Oh Mr McCall, you do make me laugh. Very well, I accept your challenge, made as one Alpha to another, physical combat to determine the right to claim this land as our own.” Deucalion made no movement but his shoulders grew up and out as his skin darkened to a deep azure and his arms split the seems of his shirt.  “Though you couldn’t take my cane from me when I was blind I doubt you’ll fair better now.”  He made a small shooing gesture with his hands at Scott’s Pack who resolutely stood still until Scott himself ordered them back.

 

The made a semi-circle behind Scott, each looking a little more tired and drawn than they had before they walked in.  Isaac looked furious at this turn of events but moved to where his Alpha pointed.  Scott and Deucalion faced up to each other and everyone seemed to hold their breath.

 

Suddenly, Scott leapt forward, arm swinging forward to swipe at Deucalion’s throat, apparently aiming for a killing blow straight away.  Jackson caught a moment’s surprise from the other Alpha as he shifted to block the strike, but Scott’s legs seemed to give way and he dropped to the floor, skidding past Deucalion and punching out into the side of his knee as he did.  As soon as his fist connected, creating a sickening crunching sound, Scott rolled out and away, coming up with a growl, fangs and claws extended.

 

Deucalion had dropped to his side when his leg gave way and he rolled back, coming up on one leg, giving Scott a quick roar of anger. The hair on the back of Jackson’s neck stood on end and the seriousness of the situation slammed into him.  Before he could think on it further, his boyfriend sprang forward and Deucalion hesitated, clearly split between wondering whether his was another feint or accepting it as a true attack.  The slight delay in responding meant that Scott’s claws slammed into Deucalions chest and he ripped up, shredding skin and spraying dark red blood up into the air. It fell, like rain, onto Scott and the dusty, concrete floor.  This time though, before Scott could get away, Deucalion’s hand flashed out, grabbed his opponents shirt and slammed him into the ground.  Jackson jumped, worried, but Ethan’s hand on his arm stopped him from jumping forward and helping.

 

“It’s an Alpha fight.  One on one.”  He whispered and Jackson frowned.  Now that they were locked together the fight became ferocious.  Claws and teeth made rents and blood when flying, filling the air with a coppery, metallic tang.  Injuries were mounting up on both Alphas though Deucalion seemed to be getting the worst of it. Scott focused on keeping the other Alpha’s injured knee injured making sure the bigger wolf was constantly off balance.  However, as the fight wore on, the older Alpha’s experience and brutality started giving him an edge.

 

A particularly vicious blow connected to the side of Scott’s head and teenage Alpha stumbled back a couple of steps, trying to shake the blow off.  Deucalion followed up instantly though and suddenly, the Pack’s leader, it’s heart and soul, was on the defensive.  Jackson felt his breath catch and his heart rate rocketed.  This wasn’t the way this was supposed to go.  They were both Alphas and Scott had a Pack.  _Scott has a Pack._

 

He span on Ethan.  “What’s an Alpha fight, quickly?”

 

The other werewolf looked confused for a second. “It’s a fight between two Alphas, their Packs aren’t supposed to get involved.”

 

“Says who?”  Jackson demanded.

 

“What?”

 

“Who says Packs don’t get involved?”

 

“Well… Deucalion told us that when we were part of the Alpha pack… He said it was just how things were done…” Ethan looked lost in thought for a second.  “I don’t know where he got it from, he just said it was the way it was.”

 

“Right well I say fuck it.  We’re a Wolf Pack, packs hunt together and work together to bring down prey.  Only lone wolves attack smaller prey, like Deucalion is doing now.” He turns to Isaac.  “I say fuck it.  What do you say?” 

 

Isaac’s face went from stone to being split into a violent grin in less than a heartbeat.  His eyes swivelled to the fight and he bounded forward, Jackson close on his heels.  They bolted towards Deucalion and distracted him as he turned to see what the commotion was.  Isaac stopped, roared and while Deucalion’s attention was one him, Jackson dove past the Alpha, swiping at his arm, creating new cuts as he moved to Scott, checking he was OK. 

 

“Not the rules!”  Deucalion screamed in fury.

 

“Not _your_ rules!” Aiden called back, stalking forward.  “But we’re Pack.”  The rest of the Pack all circled around the bleeding Alpha and closed in, careful.  As soon as he turned his back on Allison she lifted the small crossbow and fired two bolts right into the back of his neck.  He howled in pain and stumbled forward.  Isaac was on him in an instant.  He ripped into Deucalion’s exposed back and pushed him towards Aiden who’s claws raked across his former Alpha’s face.  As the blow landed, Deucalion span into the baseball bat Stiles swung with all his might.  The Alpha collapsed at Jackson’s feet and he lashed out, foot connecting with chin. 

 

The Pack’s intervention had given Scott enough time to regroup and he leapt onto Deucalion, pressing claws into the side of his neck.  With his other hand he slapped the other Alpha, open-handed, disrespectful, just to get his attention.  The Alphas gazes locked and Jackson focused on his boyfriend.  The red in his eyes were shot with black, little veins writhing through his irises.  He reached out a hand and laid it on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

 

Scott showed no sign of recognising it though as he spoke through gritted teeth.  “My Pack want to kill you Deucalion.” The downed Alpha’s eyes shot around the Pack, finding nothing but hatred and fury there.  Danny was the best of them and they were resolute in their desire to see his attacker suffer.  “Fuck it, _I_ want to kill you. I want to rip my claws across your throat and spill your blood on this floor.  What you did? It was _a mistake_.”  Scott was panting and Jackson noticed that Allison and Stiles were leaning forward hungrily, eyes wide and dark.

 

“Scott,” he murmured, starting to get worried.  Only Lydia wasn’t leaning in, she was the only one without bloodlust on her face.  She was looking away though, clearly absenting herself from whatever was about to happen.  With his heightened vision he could see she was starting to glow with an eldritch light.

 

“In fact, maybe we should work you over like you did Danny.”  Scott nodded at Isaac who slammed his heel down on Deucalion’s fingers, breaking them.  The Alpha grimaced, but didn’t make a noise.  Scott’s face tightened with displeasure and he nodded again.  Isaac’s foot came down twice more but still Deucalion resisted.  Scott gripped the werewolf’s face and held it in place as he brought his claw round hovering it over the Alpha’s eye.  “How you enjoying your sight, _Duke_?”

 

Deucalion shivered and clenched his jaw.  The muscles in Scott’s arm bunched and Jackson knew he was readying himself to literally claw the other Alpha’s eyes out.  “Scott, don’t do this.  Please.”  Jackson said, moving his hand so his fingertips were lightly brushing the skin of his boyfriend’s neck.  The other boy reacted as if burnt, jerking away.  When he looked back at Jackson, his eyes were pure, luminous red once more.

 

Scott took a shaky breath and looked around his Pack, like he didn’t know what was happening, or where he was.  “Deucalion.” He started and looked down at the other Alpha who was frowning.  “You have no idea how close you just came to death.  You will be taken to the edge of town and let go, if you come back into our area again, I wont stop them.” Scott looked up at his Pack who clearly were still hoping to lay into Deucalion again.  The other Alpha also looked up and nodded, once.

 

Scott got up and stared down his Pack.  They all dropped their eyes, submitting to his decision.  “We’ll take him.”  Aiden offered.  Scott gave him an incredulous look.

 

“No.  Isaac, Allison?  Can you take him somewhere out of Beacon Hills, drop him off?” 

 

Allison nodded first.  “Sure, I have some rope in the trunk. Wolfsbane.” She explained and left.

 

“Stiles,” Scott turned to his friend.  “Go with Lydia and Jackson and find anything in wherever Deucalion’s been staying that he’ll need, cards, money, computer, you know the things right?”  Stiles nodded and looked down at the fallen Alpha.

 

“Where am I going?”  He asked.

 

“I can do that myself.”  Deucalion grumbled and Scott just shook his head.

 

“If you had agreed to leave, I’d have said yes, but now… Stiles will make the decisions on what you need, anything he leaves, you lose.” Scott’s voice was hard and his resolve immovable.

 

Deucalion grimaced but looked up at Stiles, “If you go up the stairs it’s the first door on the left.”

 

Scott nodded at Stiles, but turned to his boyfriend.  “Jackson, you go first.  Be careful, keep an eye out for, I don’t know, traps.”  Jackson nodded and followed Stiles and Lydia to the stairs.  There were no traps, no dangers, nothing unexpected at all.  Stiles quickly filled a bag with clothes, threw in the computer, phone and chargers.  Lydia rifled through the draws and whistled as she pulled out two substantial rolls of cash.

 

“Holy shit! Are they all hundreds?” Stiles asked as she tossed him one of the bundles.  He shook his head and dropped the cash in too.  He held out his hand for the other but she just smiled and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

 

“Pack funds.  We’ll put it towards Danny’s rehab and loss of earnings.”  Jackson smiled and nodded at her. In only a couple of minutes they managed to get pretty much everything in the room packed into one bag then headed downstairs.  Allison was just finishing tying up Deucalion. He was trussed up tight, hands behind back, rope looped around his neck and down to his ankles.

 

“Stiles, Lydia.”  Allison called.  “You’ll have to help me, none of the boys can get near this rope without getting all growly.”  Jackson could feel the poison in the rope from where he was and could only imagine what it was doing to Deucalion.  On the plus side he wasn’t worried about the Alpha getting loose.  There was no way any wolf could escape those knots.

 

He crossed the floor and stood next to Scott as the human Pack members carried their defeated foe out to Allison’s care, Isaac following at a distance behind.  “How you doing?” Jackson asked his boyfriend.

 

“I’m OK.”  Scott said and turned to him.  “Thank you.  For stopping me.  I would’ve…”  He looked serious as he shook his head and frowned.

 

“It’s OK, you didn’t.  And I didn’t stop you, you stopped you.”

 

Scott gave him an incredulous look. “You did it.”

 

“ _I_ just reminded you to think for a second, what you did with that thought was up to you, and _you_ stopped.”  He gently and slowly reached his arms around Scott and hugged him close.  “Come on, let’s go. Get you patched up?”  Scott nodded and led the rest of his Pack out of the building.  They saw Allison’s car pulling out and joined Lydia and Stiles by the jeep.  After a quick discussion they all decided that, although Deucalion was gone, they should probably stay close, just in case he decided to come back.

 

Seeing as Scott’s Mom was still on nights and would probably still be asleep, they decided to all head back to Jackson’s.  Scott texted Isaac to let him know the plan, while his boyfriend phoned his parents.  They were delighted, of course, that he was coming home and bringing friends, especially Scott.

 

“Does that mean he _is_ your boyfriend.”  His Dad asked, a grin in his voice.

 

“Uh-huh.” 

 

“Uh-huh?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“OK.  Well, we’ll be happy for everyone to come over.”

 

Jackson hung up and gave directions to those who didn’t know where they were going.  Before he did though, Scott warned them all that Jackson’s parents knew nothing of wolves or anything supernatural so to Pack talk to a minimum.

 

Before long they were all in Jackson’s kitchen, his Mom making sandwiches for everyone, smiling at Lydia like the long-lost daughter she no doubt thought his ex-girlfriend was.  Just after they’d finished eating Allison and Isaac arrived, grinning and happy, laughing in a carefree way Jackson hadn’t seen do before.  Scott greeted them both with a hug and Jackson heard their hushed conversation clearly.

 

“Is he gone?” He asked them.

 

“Oh, yeah.  Definitely.” Allison said.

 

“You reminded him not to come back?” Scott asked and Allison nodded.

 

“We were very clear.”  Isaac added and squeezed Scott’s arm.  “You scared him pretty good Scott, there’s no way he’s coming back.”

 

“OK.  Good.  Good.”  He hugged them again, mumbling a thank you to them both.  After that he settled back onto the sofa next to Jackson.  “Hey, we should go see Danny tonight. I don’t think anyone’s told him the news yet.”

 

“That Deucalion is gone or we’re dating?  Because he kinda knows something is happening between us.”  Jackson asked with a smile.

 

“Oh, really?  Well, we should tell him about Deucalion then.  You told him?”  Scott smiled.  “Yesterday? Before we had ‘the talk’.”  He grinned wider.

 

“Shut up McCall.”  He rocked into Scott and laughed as the other boy threw his arm over Jackson’s shoulder.

 

“Get a room!” Called Stiles from the other couch before adding in a hurry. “Actually, no! Don’t! No room for you!”

 

They both laughed and blushed, sharing an embarrassed smile.  Wonderfully though, in his house, in Scott McCall in his arms, the Pack around him – he felt at home.

 

 

Epilogue

 

“Dear God that rope really is brutal.” Isaac had complained. He’d turned around and sneered at Deucalion who had been breathing through gritted teeth on the back seat.

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Allison had pulled the car off to the side of the road and turned the engine off.  “Stop whining and man up Isaac.”  She’d snapped and he’d flinched a little.  “I’m sorry baby, but you know I prefer it when you come with me.” Her voice had a treacly, insincere tone but Isaac had nodded anyway.  “Come on, let loose.”

 

Isaac had taken a deep breath and rested his head back against the passenger seat.  He looked to be straining against invisible ropes and knots of muscles in his neck bunched as his face went red.  “Sorry,” he’d gasped, “let me try again.” He said and closed his eyes again as Allison had nodded.  As soon as he did though, Allison had twirled a thin, sharp blade into her hand and slammed it into his thigh, all the way to the hilt.  “FUCK!”  He’d cried, clutching at her hand that still held the dagger in place.

 

“Leave it!” She had demanded.  Isaac’s wolf had pushed itself to the surface and he’d growled at her through bared fangs.  “I’m just helping.”  She’d said in that syrupy voice again.  Twisting the blade she’d leant forward and licked a slow stripe over her boyfriend’s lips settling her tongue under one canine and pressing until a spot of blood welled up.  Deucalion had watched on in disgust as she kissed the werewolf, long and deep, all the while twisting the blade in his leg.

 

Eventually Isaac had gasped and she’d pulled back, staring into his eyes.  From his position, bound as he was on the back seats, the Alpha had a clear view of Scotts’ Beta’s eyes opening, and pure black orbs staring out at him.  Deucalion had swallowed, truly unnerved for the first time that day.  His eyes had flickered to back to the girl who had been driving to see identical pools of darkness where her eyes should have been.  His mouth had gone dry, and, even knowing it was futile, he’d struggled, the poison in the rope stripping his skin away.

 

“Awww, baby, looks like our guest is scared, can you smell it?”

 

Isaac had laughed and stretched. “Mmmmhmmm…” His laugh had increased to a something maniacal as he pulled the dagger free.  “Yours I believe.”  He had passed the knife back to her and she’d slipped it away, nodding thanks.

 

“Feel better, baby?” She’d asked and Isaac had nodded, cricking his neck.

 

“Thanks for that.”

 

“No problem, I know it’s harder for you to surrounder to it.” 

 

“What the fuck are you?”  Deucalion had asked from the back seat.

 

Allison had laughed and driven off again, heading further into the woods.  “We? We are Scott’ Pack you fucking idiot.  We are the people who beat you Demon-Wolf-Alpha-without-a-Pack.”  The tall teenager had grinned, with no warmth at all.  “Were the ones who keep him safe.” 

 

“What’s wrong with your eyes?”  He’d asked and Isaac had looked to his girlfriend. She’d turned onto a dirt track and thought for a while before answering.

 

“Well, when the darkness settled into us we all had ways of coping but nothing really worked, not until Stiles found the program.  But you know what the first mantra is?  It’s to learn to accept the things we can not change. I’ve a darkness living in me and I can’t change that, so I accepted it.  It turns out, when I did I could direct it. Like the riverbank directs the river.  Of course, it’s not something Scott could accept so we keep it quiet.  It’s our little secret, isn’t it lover?”  She’d asked and Isaac had nodded.

 

The car had stopped, seemingly in the middle of nowhere and the teenagers had dragged Deucalion from the car, unceremoniously dumping him to the ground.  He’d grunted in pain, but could do nothing but watch as they pulled out lengths of chains and padlocks from the trunk of the car.  As they wrapped him tightly in coils of heavy metal, Deucalion had tried to ask what they were doing but they’d completely ignored him.

 

Once they’d finished it had taken both of them to lift him, but eventually they’d managed to carry him into a small boat tied up at the lake they’d stopped at.  It was at that point that Deucalion had figured out what was happening.  He’d tried struggling again, but between the wolfsbane rope and the chains he could barely move a muscle.  “Hey! Your Alpha said I wasn’t to be killed! You can’t disobey him.”

 

“Actually we can.”  Allison had said with a smile and Isaac had laughed, the disquieting sound echoing out across the water as he rowed them out.  “You see, as much as we both love Scott, and we do, he can be a bit…”  She’d struggled for the word.

 

“Soft-hearted.”  Isaac had offered and she’d nodded happily.

 

“Soft-hearted, yes.  You are a danger to him, so you have to go, it’s as simple as that.”  She’d grabbed the bag Stiles had packed and dumped it over the side, watching it sink into the inky darkness.  “Mmmmm… pretty.”

 

“You two are insane.”  Deucalion had rasped, terror starting to sink into his bones.

 

“Thank you.”  Allison had said, shaking her hair out and smiling to her boyfriend who’d laughed with her.  “Only a little further I think.” She’d said to Isaac. “Seeing as we’re out here all alone… what are we going to do about Jackson?”

 

Isaac had stopped and frowned.  “Well.  He’s not a threat and Scott actually seems happier, so, I say we see what happens?”  Allison had nodded.

 

“OK, this should do.”  She’d said and the two teenagers had manoeuvred to one side of Deucalion, ready to flip him into the water.  He’d began babbling, begging and threatening but they’d just ignored him.  “But, Isaac?  If he does hurt Scott?”  She’d asked.

 

“Then.” He paused to heavy the Alpha into the water, watching curiously as Deucalion vanished into the water.  “Then we kill him.”  He’d finished.

 

“Good.  So we watch.”

 

“Yes. We watch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnnnd... we're done.
> 
> :-D
> 
> Sorry if you don't like the ending, but I LOVED IT! :-D
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting all of you who did. It really makes it all worthwhile.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Comments and suggestions and questions always welcome...


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